


Four Names for Love

by Pandora_Imperatrix



Series: Four Names Verse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: A lot of 5th season missing scenes, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alfred has seen things he would rather forget, Baby Fic, Bruce Wayne Loves Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, F/M, Good Parent Selina Kyle, Lovers to enemies to lovers, Selina Kyle is Catwoman, Slow Burn, Teen Pregnancy, Ten Years Later, horny teenagers become even hornier adults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:27:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 40,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23292436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandora_Imperatrix/pseuds/Pandora_Imperatrix
Summary: When Bruce parted ways with Gotham he was leaving behind more than he thought. Meanwhile Selina is trying to find a way to herself after being abandoned again and on top of that she finds out she was left with a lot more than a heartbreak.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Helena Wayne, Barbara Kean & Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne & Helena Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Helena Wayne, Dick Grayson & Selina Kyle, Helena Wayne & Barbara Lee Gordon, Selina Kyle & Alfred Pennyworth, Selina Kyle & Helena Wayne, Selina Kyle & Original Female Character(s), Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne
Series: Four Names Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1791787
Comments: 140
Kudos: 180





	1. Agape part I

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts after 5x11. Just pretend the finale never happened.

> _(agape)_
> 
> _I love you  
>  unconditionally  
>  this heart carries on,  
>  beating into the abyss  
>  an echo, enduring._
> 
> _— one, two, three, four - a.j. (via[ibuzoo](https://ibuzoo.tumblr.com/tagged/mine))_

That night Selina walked on the dirty Gotham streets like a ghost. She had never been a romantic person, always the cynical; she would think so little of those women that cried about their heartache, who acted like a break up was the end of the world. It’s just a man, she would scoff, don’t be so dramatic. But then again, she never thought that would once be her, she never thought that she would fall in love.

She have been in that place before, she have been abandoned before, but now she felt the eerie sensation that such pain should have killed her, it made no sense that she was still alive. She felt worse than when she couldn’t walk. Because that time she was suffering for something someone had done to her, but this, this she had done to herself. And each breath was pure torture, each thump of her heart was scorning her, she should be dead but she kept living, agonizing breath after agonizing breath, tormenting heartbeat after tormenting heartbeat. 

She walked for so long that she reached the harbour, the waters were dark and wild, the wind messing her already frizzy hair and making the whole world taste like salty tears. As she looked away from Gotham she promised herself that she would never do that again. She would never get attached, she would never need anyone that badly, she would never let herself commit that mistake again.

The next day she woke up with a huge headache after all her crying, she was freezing from sleeping in the streets and she was very, very angry. Mostly at herself, but she wish more than anything that there was some way to get back at Bruce after what he did to her. She was a revengeful person, even somewhat petty, and now, she was also a woman scorned, what a cliché.

As she dragged herself back to Heaven, ignoring the happy people on the streets still cheering after the end of the terrible regime of terror that oppressed Gotham for such a long time. Those were the best times of her life, what that said about her? As she walked Selina daydreamed a different reality in which she was the one that get to leave him, for once, she wanted to be the one that left. Or, at least, she wished she got there in time, not to stop him, but to say to his face what coward he was. Protecting her, he said in that ridiculous letter, ridiculous, she didn’t need his stupid protection. And how come he was protecting her leaving her behind on her own? But it all circled back to herself, her own self-hatred for letting him do that to her. How could she betray herself like that?

And what was driving her insane, what hurt her the most was that she knew, deep down that there was no way she could get back at him. There was no way she could just leave him the way he had left her. He changed her, with his stupid morals, his hero complex, his good doer bullshit, he was always pushing her to be what he considered better, to be the Selina he wanted her to be. And despite all her attitude she had tried really hard to not let him down, she really tried to rise to his level of perfection, and all for what?

She could never go back to what she was before him, that Selina was lost, in some deep fundamental level there was a part of her that would always be his doing, it would always belong to him.

Selina avoided anyone that could stop her, ignored people calling her name, people asking her about him as she climbed the fire escape ladder to the room that was officially his, but that they had been sharing for all those months of No Man’s Land since she left the hospital. There was pieces of the life they lead all around the tiny room, the lie they lead. Her boots haphazardly lying on the floor, one of his turtlenecks carefully folded on a chair, her whip hanging on a hook on the wall, a pile of his books next to his side of the bed, the messy sheets. Looking at that she felt the numbness that held her through her way to there lift and the anger waves crashing over her whole body, she was shaking so hard her knees started to give. She shoved his stupid books off the table. Threw on the walls the electronic junk that he was bringing home all the time to try to fix – that she would made fun of him for –, each crash making her cry louder, throw harder, until she had nothing left to throw and no strength to keep standing.

As she finally let herself fall, she took the silky dark fabric of his turtleneck to her face, breathing in deeply the lingering smell, wetting it with her tears before ripping it in tiny little scraps she swore to herself that was the last time, she would never again cry for Bruce Wayne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Here I am with a quarantine WIP. This story will be divided in four parts, the first two are smaller, and then we will have a timeskip of ten years like on the show. This first must take just one more chapter, I’m usually an long chapter writer, but I decided to post once a week (Tuesdays) and to make it possible I’ll do smaller pieces. I might even post more than once a week, but Tuesdays are the commitment I am making with myself. The next bit will be less angsty and will have a little bit more of action. See you soon.


	2. Agape part II

Selina left Haven and her trashed room behind. That life she was leading there was a dream, but now she was back to reality and she reminded herself that she was good at reality, well, not good, but she had survived on her own until this point, and she would not give up now.

She bitterly remembered those nights when they whispered plans for the future under the covers, the life they would have together. He talked the most, she listened, rolled her eyes at his silly romantic boy ways. But how nice was to believe that there will be a future, that there was more than live one day each. So much bullshit. How could she let herself believe in all that crap?

‘I guess I _am_ young and stupid.’

She breathed in, held for a little, let it out. She haven’t eaten yet. But that she was used to. That was good. Hunger. She knew hunger. She knew how to deal with it. It was simple; it was real, not like the stupid dreams, the unreachable yearnings that didn’t belong to someone like her.

She just have to rob herself a dinner.

But Gotham was a very different city from before. If it was a rotting carcass before, rich enough to feed street rats like her all sort of vermin, now only the naked bones remained. And it wasn’t like the rich people would come back anytime soon. What was left was the miserable and the poor.

She couldn’t rob people that have nothing. Could she?

How could she know that morals were also a kind of STD? Tabitha never told her, but she wouldn’t know that either.

Fucking rich asshole.

Her old squat was a stinky hole, there was cat pee and cat poo e v e r y w h e r e, but no cats, not anymore.

But she guessed she deserved that after abandoning her babies. At least there was running water again. Stomach howling, Selina cleaned. Stomach calling her dirty dirty names, Selina lay in her ruined cot, she had stripped the sheets and flipped over the mattress but it still stank like hell.

She needed clean beddings. Where the fuck would she get that?

The next day she was so hungry her stomach gave up hurting. She tried to stop thinking about what the other kids like her would say when they were trying to find something eatable in the dumpsters behind junk food restaurants, that if you didn’t eat the walls of your stomach would stick together and fold and you would die.

Kids were like that, they liked to scare each other even when reality was scary enough.

By noon she had found a broken vending machine that somehow still have a single gummy bears package, and she was really impressed when she noticed that it wasn’t expired. Maybe that would feed everyone post-apocalypse: children snacks with free nutritional value. That was a happy thought, see, she was thriving.

She knew that now the government was sending help there was probably a soup kitchen of sorts back in Haven, but she would rather boil her own leather jacket and eat it than stand the pity looks everyone would send her there.

Selina tried to contact the people from her old background network and to her surprise, she discovered that not much have changed there.

‘I mean, No Man’s Land? Pfff. We were already living in warlike conditions way before that. Not all of us found ourselves billionaire boyfriends and cop pals.’

She deserved that, but she still punched him for good measures. In that life no disrespect should be treated lightly.

There she found out that there was one place that haven’t been completely cleaned out yet, the Drake Mansion. Well, must of it was scraped clean, but there was one vault that no one was able to get in. Selina smiled when she heard that. Finally.

Of course the dammed mansion had to next to the demolished Wayne one. She ignored the feeling of her heart sinking when she saw the pile of rubbles, turned her face away. That place, that life, it didn’t matter anymore. She climbed the Drake Mansion tall iron fence with practiced ease, yes, that was what she was good at. That was her, not Selina Kyle the hero, Selina Kyle the thief. The Selina Kyle that cared for what was really important: herself.

The door was ajar and imposed no difficulty for her to get inside. The whole place was trashed and it was clear that someone was there before because it held nothing of value, nothing that could be traded for food or melted into ammo. That, Selina thought, was reality. That was what people really amounted to in the end. Surviving.

She walked through the bare corridors, in some of them even the wallpaper was ripped off, to make fire, she thought, smart.

‘If I were a rich prick where would I hide a secret vault?’ she whispered to herself. Basement? Attic? A secret passed in the library? Behind a grandfather clock? 

Well, there was no grandfather clock, and all the books were gone from the shelves so she couldn’t just pick one and the secret passage would open like in a Scooby Doo episode. She wished she had pressed for more information. Geez, her head was pounding, her body had really get used to that eating everyday thing. There was nothing in the basement, just trash and what looked like it was one abandoned squat. How could someone have chosen to be in that creepyass place? And it was freezing!

She was getting really annoyed and was ready to climb to the attic when she noticed something moving with the corner of her eye. Selina rested her hand on her bullwhip slowly and walked towards it. It moved again. With luck was just a rat. It moved once more and let out a squeal, a very human one. Not a rat then.

She rolled her eyes, nothing that made _that sound_ could possibly be dangerous.

‘Come on out!’

Nothing.

‘If you don’t then I will have to go there and I don’t think you will like it.’

The shadow rustled a bit, and them it tried to make a run to the stairs.

Selina cracked her whip blocking their way.

It was a girl. Around her same age. She was wearing a long dirty wool skirt a pile of coats that with the addition of the enormous backpack she had on made her look very small despite her actual size, she was taller than Selina, her hair was brown and oily. She had her back to Selina.

‘Turn around! Who are you?’

She turned surprised.

‘Selina?’

Selina frowned.

‘Do I know you?’

‘It’s me, Paul! Paul Milligan. Well, it’s Nikki now.’

Selina blinked confused and then the girl walked closer, Selina’s hand held the bullwhip harder, but she didn’t strike again. The thin light bean coming from upstairs washed the stranger’s face.

‘Oh my god! It’s you!’ She couldn’t help the smile. ‘What the fuck you’re doing here? Didn’t they find you a good family last time? And _Nikki_? What is that? A stripper name?’

Her old friend laughed lightly.

‘It’s for Nichole, my parents chose it. The new ones.’

‘What happened?’

‘They died. The building they worked was one of those that blew up.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Yeah, me too. But hey, you’re looking good.’

‘Can’t say the same.’

Nikki laughed again, thing time more whole-heartily.

‘I missed you, Cat.’

‘Sheesh. So…’ She pointed to the cot on the corner of the room. ‘You’re squatting here?’

‘No, nooo. I’m here to do the same as you, I guess. The vault?’

Selina sighed, great. She was happy to see Nikki and all but that was the last thing she needed right now, competition.

‘Look, Nikki…’

‘No, listen, Selina. I know you work alone, but hear me out, I don’t think this is a work for just one person.’

‘And why is that?’

Nikki looked up.

‘I’ve been studying this place for a while… I you need to go up there to open the vault down here. It has this very complicated computer system, but I think I can hack it.’

‘But there is no power here, how is this computer system even on?’

‘I think they have a generator.’

‘Shit.’

Selina was good at a lot of things, but she had no idea of how to deal with that nerd stuff.

‘Hey, we can collab. For the old times?’

Selina met Nikki on Gotham’s Children Center where Selina was thrown time after time when she was rejected by some foster family or simple picked up from the streets when she fled. Nikki, then Paul, was this sad little nerd that Selina took a like into because she helped her to learn to read in exchange for protection from the other kids that beat her up regularly and called her slurs. When Selina was ten, Nikki, then eight, left the GCC to live with this nice suburban family and Selina heard that she was adopted later. She was happy for her friend at the time, but also jealous, she wasn’t the only one. She after hearing some boys saying really disgusting things about her friend she decided to discount her frustration by beating the shit out of them and fleeing GCC again before getting a punishment. They didn’t try to bring her back after that.

Nikki was still waiting an answer with those big brown eyes of her.

Selina rolled her eyes and sighed.

‘Okay, fine. What do I have to do?’

Turns out that was a lot of money in that vault. A lot.

‘What are going to do with your share?’ Asked Nikki, she still looked dumpy but now her cheeks were a healthy red and she had a gleam of happiness in her eyes.

‘I’m leaving Gotham.’

‘What?’

‘Why? Is it so hard to believe that I want nothing to do with this shitty place?’

‘No, it’s just… I head about you…and Bruce Wayne.’

Selina winced at the sharp pain hearing his name brought.

‘That is over. He is gone.’

‘He died?!’

Despite herself Selina almost laughed. She missed Nikki, she had a childlike way to say things, and she was always jumping to extreme conclusions, it was endearing.

‘No, you moron. He left.’

‘Oh… I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. I don’t care. I don’t care about him.’

Nikki said nothing.

‘What about you? What are you going to do with yours?’ Asked Selina.

‘Where will you go?’

‘Why?’

‘Do you think you could use some company?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the first part. I’m really glad for the views, kudos, bookmark and comment. You guys are great!  
> Next chapter might be a bit raunchy XDD Lots of flashbacks of Selina and Bruce in Heaven.


	3. Eros part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following sections of the story are missing moments from the 5th season.

_(eros)_

_I love you  
against a wall,  
your teeth grazing  
my inner thigh  
my fingers wrapped in your hair.  
— one, two, three, four - a.j. (via [ibuzoo](https://ibuzoo.tumblr.com/tagged/mine))_

‘Whachadoin?’

‘Good lord! Selina! You scared me!’

She burst into a fit of giggles pleased with herself, Bruce couldn’t help but smile too, despite his racing heart, a while ago he thought he would never see her laughing like that again. Selina fell heavily next to him on the bed where he was sitting against the headboard, no regards for personal space at all.

‘Shouldn’t you be resting?’

She furrowed her brows, annoyed.

‘I’ve already told you. I’m done with resting. I went to the Sirens, couldn’t go around wearing that weird hospital gown forever. Got my whip back too, wanna see?’

They shared a look, his eyes drinking in each leather-covered part of her, almost in an indecent way, and further than a slight red glow on her smiling cheeks, she didn’t seem to be offend with his attentions at all, she actually looked even more pleased and mellow, leaning into his side just a little bit more.

‘No. This room is really small, and I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity to see you put it in action soon enough.’

‘Your loss, then.’ But she didn’t seem upset at that either. So much of Selina’s words didn’t match her actions. It used to drive Bruce crazy when they were younger, but now, it was one of the things that made her so appealing to him. Like she was a mystery for him to solve, and as much as frustrating it was always being dragged to square one when he thinks he finally has her figured out, it was also that what made he come back for more every time.

‘Hey, dance with me?’

She snorted and gave him that look in which he could see in her face the amounts of silly she found him to be. It was a lot. No offense taken, he actually liked when she patronized him, it was endearing.

‘There is no music, dumdum.’

He stood up from the bed, Selina got caught by surprise with his sudden move and almost slid down to a lying position without his body to support. Bruce walked around the bed and unstuck a pair of earbuds and an mp3 player from his pocket; he offered a bud to Selina.

‘Come.’

‘But you said there was no batteries anymore.’

‘I’ve found one working. Come.’ He offered again.

‘Okay…’ She said unsurely, but got up and pushed her curls away to put the earbud. He took her wrists and urged her to step in closer to him putting her arms around his neck, and then he pressed play.

Selina frowned when she listened some old timey piano, then she had to lower her head against his chest to laugh.

‘ _This_ is what you have on your super modern rich boy device? Some sad old man song? Why am I not surprised?’

‘Shh, pay attention to the lyrics.’

‘This is so stupid, and you are such a sap.’

His hands around her waist pressed her just a little firmer against him for that, but she didn’t protest when he slowly started moving their bodies together, instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and let her eyes fall shut. They stood like that for short moment until Bruce started to sing along off-key followed by her muffled giggles against his neck.

‘You can say that you're leading me on  
But it's just what I want you to do  
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost  
That's why I'm following you’

‘You are so lucky you’re already filthy rich, kid, because if you had to sing for your supper you’d starve. No, scratch that, I’d personally end your misery by killing you if I had to share a street corner with you.’

With a smile on his face, and spinning them both around the tiny room despite the slow cadence of the music, Bruce followed the last part loudly ignoring Selina laughs and protests.

‘On my own  
Would I wander through this wonderland alone  
Never knowing my right foot from my left  
My hat from my glove  
I'm too misty and too much in love

Look at me’

She did. And instead of keep making fun of him, Selina slid her hands from to his neck to his face bringing him down for a kiss. The first was chaste, didn’t last much. Sighing, Bruce ended it, letting his forehead fall against hers.

‘I almost lost you.’

Her thumbs rubbed his cheekbones lovingly, his eyes were closed, but hers were open studying the shadows of is dark eyelashes on his fair skin. She loved those moments in which she could just look at him without being seen, when there was no judgement, not even her own.

‘I’m here now.’ She whispered. ‘I’m here whenever you need me.’

He looked at her, she swallowed hard when faced with the intensity of the feelings in his eyes.

Selina carefully took the earbud from herself then from Bruce. She put the device safely away, then she slowly took off her gloves, then her jacket, well aware of his unbreakable gaze. She gave him a half smile before pulling him closer by his own jacket. She kissed his chin, then the corner of his lips.

‘Selina what are you doing?’

‘What does it looks like?’

‘But you are recovering.’

‘I’m fine, Bruce, really.’

‘But…’

‘If you don’t want to just say it, I’ll go.’ But by the way she said it, it was clear to both of them that she wasn’t going anywhere. She smiled coyly and helped him take off his own jacket, as her hands worked, Bruce dipped his head in the curve of her neck, taking in her smell hungrily. She smelled of antiseptic soap, old leather, and something salty and rich that he learned to associate with her and Gotham streets when it was dark but the moonlight hit the cobblestones just right. Selina and Gotham. There couldn’t be one without the other to Bruce, and in the last days he felt both of them slipping through his fingers. It was maddening. When he felt the last of the leather slip off from his arms hitting the floor, he led his hands to her waist, pushing the fabric of her shirt up just a bit so he could touch skin, she shivered.

‘Are you cold?’ He whispered on her ear, a wave of pride hitting him south when she purred softly.

‘No.’

He pushed her hair away, kissing her from the ear to her eyes, her nose, then finally her lips. This time it was far from a chaste kiss. He felt her fisting the fabric covering his back when he tipped his tongue between the seam of her lips, and she let him in. It was a messy kiss that one. Teeth clicking awkwardly, and misplaced tongues until they fell in a more comfortable rhythm. 

Selina was panting when they broke up.

‘Take…’ She inhaled. ‘That that stupid thing off.’ She ordered tugging his jumper.

He chuckled but obeyed, his hair sticking up in odd places, ruining the dangerous look he tried to give in and denouncing how young he actually was. Then he focused on her own shirt, lifting it slowly and without breaking eye contact whit her, those huge green pools, so expressive, often filled with mirth or distrust, now darkened with lust.

‘Eyes up here, Bruce.’ She said after he threw her shirt on the bed and couldn’t help but admire the swell of her breasts held by the lacy black fabric.

He gave her a boyish smile, then became very serious.

‘Have you done this before?’

A hit of pain crossed her face and she looked away, he wanted to kick himself.

‘Not properly, but you have, haven’t you?’

He sighed and touched her tenderly, the back of his fingers on her neck and collarbone, he had no many freckles he wanted to connect them all and give their constellation names.

‘It’s different.’

She looked back at him, confused.

‘It’s you.’ He explained.

She felt like the breath was stolen from her lungs.

Selina kissed him again. ‘Just don’t hurt me.’ She said between kisses. ‘Never.’ He promised husky.

He pushed her to the bed, lying her down. The bed gave in a little to his weight when Bruce put one knee between Selina’s legs, one hand supporting him as he hovered over her, and the other caressing one side of her body accompanied for this lips on the other side. He took his time cupping her breast over the lace, rubbing the most sensitive part with his thumb, smiled at her nipple as it hardened under his kiss. But he kept downwards, kneading her waist, kissing her belly until he reached the waistband of her jeans. He looked up silently requesting permission.

‘Come here.’

He did. She grabbed the back of his head firmly, Bruce moaned with the ferocity of her kiss. Selina flipped them over, straddling him. She thrusted her hips against him and Bruce moaned one more time, so she it again, and again feeling him swell under her without stop kissing him once. His hands got caught in the tangle of her hair and they finally had break a little, giggling, to free him. His hands fell then to her hips and she rubbed her centre against him one more time feeling all the pleasure the delicious fiction brought to them both. Bruce’s hands slid upwards to her back and Selina arched a little to help him as he undid her bra. His gaze was meticulous as he followed the fabric sliding through her skin revealing one more piece of her that he had never explored before.

He held a hand to her face.

‘You are so beautiful.’

She rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t resist the smile curving her lips, hating herself a little for how those cliché words made her feel.

But her answer was to undo his crotch button. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite wanting to write about them dancing to Misty by Johnny Mathis since forever (I’m not an old man, I swear, I’m just a 26 years old woman with weird taste in music) Bruce singing badly to Selina is something inspired buy my currently favourite fic THE DANGERS OF KNITTING by deaddennis, go read it!  
> For the next post you will get a little more of sweet sweet romance until we go back to reality.


	4. Eros part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter happens after episode 5x05 when Selina and Bruce are in Sirens after she stabs Jeremiah. It is as much angsty as the last one was fluffy. Enjoy.

He watched her dancing from afar for a while, a drink in his hand, her words playing out in his mind on repeat, the pain in her eyes as she tried so hard to break his heart. Why did she keep doing that? And he could see clearly how hurting him took the toll on her, how miserable that made her, because no matter what she tried to say, she cared, she cared so much it almost killed her multiple of times. She was moving her body to the sound of the music she said to love, her eyes closed, her face raised upwards, her arms following cadence of her moves, she looked like she was in trance.

A couple of guys approached but she didn’t seem to notice, Bruce got apprehensive, jealousy burning in his chest but he did not move. Inevitably, one of the guys tried to touch her, Bruce swallowed the drink in his hand, the alcohol descending his throat like glass shards, but he still didn’t move. Selina opened her eyes, he saw her mouth move as she spoke something, the guy tried to touch her again and she answered by punching him on the stomach, unashamed of how good seeing that made him feel, Bruce finally walked in her direction.

The mild violent scene created no commotion, but made people draw away from Selina. Everyone knew better than to mess with Selina Kyle and nobody cared about the destiny of someone who was stupid enough to do otherwise and got what they deserved. Bruce moved towards her, keeping himself in her eyesight, much like he would do approaching a stray.

He put his hands on her swinging hips and was surprised buy the look of relief in her eyes. What was she so relived for? That it was him and not another weirdo bothering her? That he didn’t left after all she did to drive him away? Selina’s lids fell shut and she let the music take her again, bringing Bruce with her. This was nothing like dancing to old songs in the privacy of his room, Bruce felt every inch of him charged with raw energy. He felt her hands touching him quite desperately, his chest, his arms, his neck, pulling his hair. She turned in their embrace, his hands sliding to her belly, he pulled her closer, her curly hair tickling his face as she let her head fall against him. He could feel her rubbing against him in the rhythm of the music driving him euphoric.

‘Selina…’ He moaned her name against her ear, she turned again, the loss of the friction almost killing him instantly.

But when he looked at her again her face was wet with tears.

He cupped her face, stopping in his tracks. His thumbs cleaning away the dark paths made of mascara.

‘Shhh, I’m here.’ He said. The music was loud, but she must have read his lips because she hugged him tight.

‘But why are you, though?’ She whispered in his ear.

He returned the hug urgently, trying to feel every inch of her, he had the horrible sensation that she would slip between his arms or dematerialize in a puff of smoke at any second.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ He answered in the same way.

She took a while to detach from him, then, she wiped her face and gabbed his hand pulling him away from the dance floor and towards a corridor leading upstairs.

‘Where are we?’ He finally broke the silence when she closed the final door behind her.

‘My place.’

He could help but look around, it wasn’t a large room like the one he had in the mansion but it was bigger than he current room in Heaven. The twin bed was messy, the purple bedspread pushed away. There was pieces of dark clothing on the floor, knifes on the nightstand, but no décor of any type. Her smell was everywhere.

Bruce was half-surprised by how she advanced towards him, pushing him against the door, kissing him so hard it hurt, and going straight to his fly. He let her get her way for a while, fully taking advantage of the inability of her shaking hands to undo his pants, until he took her hands in his.

‘Selina…’ He managed between kisses. ‘Selina… Stop it, Selina.’

‘What? You don’t want it?’

Selina stepped back from Bruce, she was fully angry now, the betrayal from his rejection reddening her face.

‘Not like that.’ He said breathily.

‘Why did you let me take you here for, then?’

‘So we would talk.’

She rolled her eyes.

‘I don’t wanna talk about my feelings now, Bruce.’ She said in a mock bitter tone and turned her back to him pacing around the room.

‘Stop it, Selina, just stop it.’

‘What?!’ She whipped back at him.

‘Running away from this. From us.’

‘There is no _us_ , Bruce.’

It was his time to get exasperated.

‘Oh, come on, you know that’s far from the truth. You know what I don’t get, Selina? You asked me to stay, no, you begged me to not leave you alone, and against my better judgement, I did what you wanted. And now all you do is run away from me, just like before.’

‘Well, you are free to leave now.’

‘No. I’m not.’

‘Go away, Bruce. I know why you don’t want to have sex, you are disgusted by me, aren’t you? I killed a man, no, a monster in cold blood and you know what? I liked it. I’m not like you, I won’t mop around feeling sorry for myself. Given the chance I’d do it again in a heartbeat.’

He breathed in deeply, then talking slowly, like he would talk to a child, he told her:

‘I’d never, never, be disgusted by you, Selina.’

He approached her, pushed her hair from her face softly, his touch was always so soft, so tender, and in that moment she hated it, she wanted him to be rough, she wanted to feel something other than the despair boiling inside her and tender wouldn’t do.

‘You don’t know me, Bruce, you don’t know me at all. The Selina you care about don’t exist.’ She said in that same hurt tone again, breaking his heart even further.

‘She is here in front of me. Look at me, Selina. Please.’ She did. ‘Don’t push me away again.’ He pleaded.

And when she kissed him again, he didn’t hesitate or stop her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eros is a bit longer than Agape, but I think I can manage the last part of it in just one more post. We will still be vising the past for a bit and then back to the present before the next section of the story. I hope you are enjoying this story and if you are, please let me know, I don’t bite.


	5. Eros part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More 5th season missing scenes before going back to the plot.

Bruce woke up alarmed when he heard the squeak of the window opening, he grabbed the knife behind his pillow, but was relived when it was just Selina. She had a little trouble closing the window again, it was old and kept getting stuck.

‘Didn’t you say that you would be staying with Barbara tonight?’

‘She fell asleep at like, nine, if you think regular Barbara is weird you don’t want to know pregnant Barbara. I have never seen her go so many days sober since I first met her when she was still normal.’

Bruce sighed, head falling back on the pillow.

‘How is she holding up?’

Selina sat on the bed to unzip her boots.

‘She won’t say it but she’s sad. She really loved Tabitha. But I think it would be a lot worse if it wasn’t for the baby.’

‘I see what you mean. At least she seem to be taking care of herself. And how are you doing? I know you cared about her too.’

Selina turned to look at him over her shoulder. She had a soft smitten smile on her face.

‘I’m fine, Bruce.’

‘Come here, then.’ Said him reaching for her.

She chuckled, taking off her gloves.

‘Eager, aren’t we?’

Selina let scape a tiny whelp when he grabbed her by the waist, forcing her to lie down with him.

‘Bruce! Let me take off the jacket first.’

‘You were taking too long.’ He complained childishly against her hair. ‘It’s cold.’

‘You were doing just fine before I got here.’ She said making no effort to sit up again.

‘I was in fact not. I was freezing. Now I’m so much better.’ He kissed her exposed neck.

‘You wouldn’t last a day on the streets.’ Said Selina purring.

‘I remember lasting more than that when we were kids.’ He gave her a little bite.

‘That’s because _I_ was there to take care of you.’

‘Well, you can keep doing that by keeping me warm now.’

She couldn’t stop the giggles bubbling out of her, but pushed him away nonetheless.

‘Lemme take off the jacket and the pants first.’

He sighed the most dramatic sight of all time but finally let her go. Selina disposed of her clothes throwing them in the floor and getting an annoyed look from Bruce to which she responded just by giving her best cheeky grin. They never really discussed about her sloppiness, but he would make this passive-aggressive comments sometimes that had the complete inverse result that he expected. Sometimes he even wondered if she was trying to start a fight out of nothing to see what he would do, as if he was to leave her over a misplaced hairbrush and her clothes usually looked better on the floor anyway.

Bruce held the covers up for her to get in, and when she was finally where he wanted he pulled her close again.

‘You really aren’t cold?’

‘A bit.’ She confessed rubbing her face on the front of his pyjamas purring. After a while she looked up to him, eyes like dark pools. ‘Wanna know a fun way to keep warm?’

They met in the middle for the kiss.

She helped him undress his jacket first.

‘Can you lift your arms?’

‘Yeah.’ But he winced when he did it, clearly in pain.

She helped him with the turtleneck too.

The cut could’ve been worse she concluded. Then she reached for the first aid kit under the bed, searching for the antiseptic and the gauze to clean the wound. He flinched when she touched the cut.

‘Sorry.’

‘Not your fault.’

Her hand shook.

‘Selina? Are you okay?’ He asked worried.

‘But it _is_ my fault, isn’t it? If I had killed him that day nothing of this would happen.’

He grabbed her chin pulling her head up.

‘None of what happened today is your fault, Selina.’

‘He blew up your house, Bruce. Hurt Alfred. Almost killed Jim and Lee… Made you relive that awful night. Just because I can’t do anything right.’

Bruce slid his hand from Selina’s chin to her cheek, rubbing her skin with his thumb with affection.

‘I’m happy you didn’t kill him. I’m glad he didn’t make of you a killer.’

She sighed pulling away from his touch.

‘I’ve killed before, Bruce.’ She said going back to tend to his wound.

‘That was different. He was trying to kill us.’ He justified.

Selina had a very tired and very annoyed expression when she looked up to him again, her jaw tense.

‘And Jeremiah isn’t _always_ trying to kill us?’

He didn’t answer, but held her gaze until she broke it and, in silence, finished bandaging him.

‘Here, done.’

She then stood up.

‘Where are you going?’

‘The Sirens.’

‘Selina, no… Look, we’re both tired. Just come to bed.’

She really wanted to fight, maybe that was how she dealt with frustration, how she managed her sadness, by covering it up with anger. But when she saw at how miserable Bruce looked, how easily she could have lost him that day, she felt all the will she had to fight give in to this heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t want to go the Sirens, she didn’t want to feel better by getting shit-faced, she wanted to cuddle Bruce, wrap herself in his warmth and his smell and feel safe from psychopath clowns and the senseless violence of that god forsaken city.

And that was what she did.

Gordon was giving one of his motivational speeches, Selina was bored. She decided she liked him much better before the marriage, when he was miserable, the speeches were a lot shorter back then. She looked at Bruce up and down, his head was turned forward, like he was paying attention. He had such a juvenile admiration for Gordon. It was cute. Not that she would tell that to either of them.

Her hand crawled behind the seam of his shirt, for once it wasn’t a damn turtleneck, it was a little warmer but it was still Gotham, he kept the jacket. His skin was warm under her touch. She flattened her palm against his lower back before start scratching upwards. He stopped her by taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. Selina was ready to be scolded, but when Bruce looked at her his eyes were dark. Well, maybe he wasn’t paying attention to Gordon as much as she thought.

Bruce then pulled Selina’s hand moving away from the crowd, if someone found odd that they were leaving she sincerely didn’t care.

They soon found an empty room. Selina hopped up a table, to get herself a few inches, Bruce was always mock-complaining that curving himself to kiss her was giving him back pains. She parted her knees to welcome him. She closed her eyes as he started with kisses over her exposed collarbone, and hit him playfully on the shoulder when she felt he suck the skin linking her shoulder to her neck. 

‘Don’t give me another hickey!’

He chuckled.

‘So you can scratch me and give me as much hickeys you want but I can’t? That is hardly fair.’ He complained against her hair.

‘You walk covered head to toe, you wear those stupid turtlenecks all the time.’

‘So it’s showing them off what bothers you? Okay.’

He stepped back and she furrowed her brows in confusion.

Bruce took one of her ankles and unzipped her boot taking it off.

‘What are you doing?’

He just smiled.

He let go of her ankle and took the other repeating the act. Then he returned to his past position and kissed her on the lips, Selina lost herself to the sensation, almost forgetting that he was up to something until she felt his hands pushing her pants off.

‘B-bruce…’ She stuttered when they let go for a second for air.

‘Shhh.’ He kissed her again and Selina moved to help him pushing her pants all the way down. It wasn’t her initial plan to have sex in a GCPD packed with people, she just wanted to make out a bit to pass the time, but she was not complaining, not when Bruce was kissing her like that.

But then he stopped kissing her, she was ready to pull him back when he fell to his knees, looking up at her with hungry eyes. She swallowed hard feeling the heat pool on her lower half, it wasn’t fair how much she wanted him all the time. Bruce kissed her right knee, caressing her calf with one hand and her left inner thigh with the other. His kisses were spreading inwards, Selina’s breath getting heavier as he got closer to her centre. Then he sucked hard, kissing the reddening mark to sooth the skin afterwards.

‘No one will see it here.’

She let out something that was half a choke and half a laugh and tried to kick him, but he held her leg firmer, giving her a shit-eating grin, before going back to work. He was tantalizing close to his goal when the door was flung open.

‘Bloody hell!’

Bruce pulled himself up so fast it was like he was propped up by springs, Selina felt all the heat from her lower abdomen run to her face.

‘Alfred!’ Squeaked Bruce hiding Selina with his body.

‘Master Bruce… You and Miss Kyle really shouldn’t be doing this… here.’

‘You’re… you’re right, Alfred. We’re sorry.’

She was only sorry that they were caught, and by Jeeves, yikes. Well, could’ve been worse. What if it was Gordon? Or worse, Harvey? She shuddered.

‘Alfred, can you…?’

‘Oh, right. Well, I’m leaving then.’

When Selina heard the door close giving away that he was _finally_ gone, she started shaking with laughter. Bruce turned around to face her, laughing too. She reached for him, pulling him close and burying her face in his chest.

PRESENT

Selina woke up feeling ill for the third consecutive day. Maybe having water on the pipes again didn’t mean she should drink it. At least with the money she was able to buy food and even a ‘new’ bedding. And by new it meant bedding someone stole from some house before No Man’s Land. At least it was clean. Sort of.

Then she started her routine like she have been doing for the past days, throwing up, washing herself, trying to eat something, giving up, thinking what she would do when she finally left Gotham. She still didn’t know what, but she was getting in there.

Maybe she should see a doctor, she was losing weight.

But the only doctor she trusted was Lee and she didn’t want to see Lee. She didn’t want to stumble in her joyful married life, she really didn’t want to answer her questions of where she had been, what she had been doing, if she was okay… She didn’t want her kindness or her pity.

She got to the Sirens without any trouble. It was so early in the morning that it was still dark, no one on the streets, her key still worked. The bar was naturally closed, she walked upstairs, but instead of following the path to her old room, Selina got caught in the differences around the flat. There was children’s toys on the sofa. An empty bottle on the counter. A pink baby blanket hanging on the back of a chair. Those things looked eerily misplaced in among Barbara’s glamorous decoration.

She ended up in the darkened baby’s room. Selina approached the crib, Barbara Lee was sleeping soundly. Selina felt the terrible urge to cry, but was interrupted by the cold feel of iron against her head.

‘Step back from the baby.’

‘Jesus, Barbara, it’s me!’

Without lowering the gun, Barbara turned the light on.

‘Selina? What are you doing here?’ She finally lowered the gun.

‘I…’ Selina choked, she couldn’t say. She just couldn’t.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Can I sleep in my old room?’ She managed.

Barbara frowned.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Thank you.’ She crossed away from Barbara disappearing in the corridor.

Deciding that going to the Sirens was a terrible idea, Selina’s plan was to wait a little until Barbara was asleep again to leave, but she was the one who ended up falling asleep. It was nice to be in a clean place, and even though she haven’t slept there in months, the bed still felt like hers, and she felt to exhausted all the time now.

She woke up to the sound of baby crying.

‘Shhh don’t be so mad at mommy, I know… Shhh… Here.’

As she reached the living room, Selina was presented with the picturesque scene of Barbara Kean breastfeeding. It really hit high on the list of weird things that she had seen. And she had lived in Gotham all her life.

‘Oh, you’re up. Feeling better?’

‘Yeah… Thanks. What time is it?’

‘Around noon. I was about to get lunch. Join me?’

‘No… I’m fine. Look, thank you for letting me stay. I’m taking off.’

‘Selina. This is still your house if you want it.’

‘Oh… no… You don’t have to worry about me, you have your baby.’

‘I actually could use a hand. As much as Jim and Lee help, they are not here all the time. I could also use the company. I miss when it was the three of us.’

Selina’s stomach let out a loud noise.

‘We can get your favourite takeout.’

But later when she opened the lid with her serving of chicken tikka masala, Selina felt the strongest wave of nausea she ever felt in her life. She almost didn’t make to the bathroom.

‘Are you okay?’ Asked Barbara by the opened door, baby in her arms.

‘Yeah,’ Selina groaned. ‘Peachy. I think I have a stomach bug or something.’

‘Hmmm. But a stomach bug would make you go sick after eating not before it.’

Since when did she became such an expert?

‘Selina have you had you period recently?’

Selina felt the whole world rotate and her blood freeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barbara knows what is up. And that was a long one, it was because I added more stuff than I intended. The whole section post the 5x07 was not on script, but after such a heavily emotional episode they gave Bruce and Selina such a tiny scene, I had to make something. And the plot finally starts going forward, but not by much. This is a slowburning story. See you next time. If you are enjoying the story please let me know. This whole social distancing thing is making me very lonely and it’d be nice to chat.


	6. Philia part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally. This is a baby fic after all :D

_(philia)_

_I love you_   
_at three a.m._   
_when for the thousandth time_   
_I thank a god I do not believe in_   
_for giving you life._

_— one, two, three, four - a.j. (via[ibuzoo](https://ibuzoo.tumblr.com/tagged/mine))_

Selina wanted to leave as soon as she was able to stand up without having to hold herself against the wall, but Barbara wasn’t having it. She was talking and talking, and since she had asked about her period Selina’s head started pounding and she just wanted Barbara to shut the fuck up.

Then she had something trusted into her hands. She looked at the thin carbon box confused.

‘Just pee in it, it’s easy.’

‘Why do you even have this?’

‘I manage a women-only employee bar, these things are handy.’

She gave Barbara a suspicious look.

‘Why do you even care?’

‘Because I care about you.’ Barbara said in a sickening sweet tone.

Selina wanted to throw up again.

‘Yeah, right.’

Barbara dropped the act and rolled her eyes.

‘Just do it.’

Selina pondered her options. In one hand she was scared out of her life to do that test, on the other it wasn’t like she could get another test easily and she _had_ to know. A pregnancy wasn’t like something she could ignore and it would go away. Barbara was crazy and she surely had some creepy agenda driving her to be so nice, but she had never really harmed Selina before.

‘Fine.’

Barbara smiled in that maniac way of hers but didn’t move.

‘Get out.’ Demanded Selina annoyed.

‘Oh! Right!’

She left the bathroom, but by her voice Selina knew she was just on the other side of the door.

‘So?’

‘I’m not done, yet.’

‘Think of waterfalls, rain, dripping faucets…’

‘Shut up, Barbara.’

‘Ohhh, moody aren’t we?’

Selina opened the door eventually, she held the stick like it was about to bite her.

‘What does it say?’ Barbara asked biting her nail, Selina was deeply disturbed by how she was so into the whole thing.

‘I don’t know. What two sticks mean?’

Barbara’s creepy smile widened.

‘Congratulations!’

Selina felt the headache become ten times worse, and suddenly she felt like the air disappeared, she couldn’t breathe.

‘No. No. This is not happening. This thing is wrong.’

‘Selina… We can do another one if you like, but you said you haven’t been having your period and is tired and nauseous all the time, that’s pregnancy for you.’

Selina didn’t say anything for a while, she just looked at the positive pregnancy test in her shaking hand.

‘No…but…. No. It. No.’

‘Selina, calm down. You are turning blue.’ She put her free hand on Selina’s shoulder. ‘Jesus, you are cold.’

Selina took a few shaky breaths, closed her eyes trying to make the whole room stop turning but it seems to make things worse. She grabbed the fabric of her shirt covering her chest, she felt like her bones were too tight, crushing her.

‘You must think I’m so stupid.’ She finally managed in a broken voice and slid down against the wall.

Barbara sighed, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, still holding her baby.

‘Yeah, I do. But considering how _I_ got pregnant, I have no right to judge. And you could’ve got a lot worse baby daddy than a billionaire boy that love you to bits.’

‘It’s not his.’ She tried pathetically. Barbara rolled her eyes.

‘Oh please, Selina. I saw the both of you eating each other faces far too many times to believe in that.’

Selina didn’t say a thing for a while, she just couldn’t believe that was happening. From all the twisted fucked up things that ever happened to her, teen pregnancy? Really? What was her? An after school special?

‘He left.’ Selina mumbled.

‘What?’

‘He left, Barbara, and it was bad enough without… _this_.’

‘Left? To where?’

Selina seriously had never been more annoyed at Barbara in her life.

‘I don’t know. He just left and all I got was this stupid letter.’ She said angrily.

‘Well, not _all_ you got.’ Barbara said a trace of laugh in her voice. Selina gave her a nasty look. Barbara didn’t seen to care. She took a weird pleasure of pushing other people’s buttons. ‘His butler must know where he is, Selina. Don’t worry. I’m really disappointed on him for leaving you in this hell hole and going to have fun elsewhere. But men are like that, darling.’

And said that she got up cooing to her baby and left Selina alone.

‘Where is he?!’

Alfred didn’t seem to be fazed at all by her sudden appearance or demanding tone.

‘Good afternoon to you too, Miss Kyle.’

Selina had to work hard to stop the urge to use her bullwhip on the pompous prick.

‘Where. Is. He?’

‘Not here, Miss Kyle.’ He didn’t even look away from him book.

Selina marched towards him, took the book from his hands and threw the damn thing against the wall.

‘Well, that was really impolite.’ He said, impassive.

‘Impolite? You must think I’m a joke, don’t you? Just tell me where the fuck he is!’

Alfred finally stood up but Selina didn’t retreat, ignoring how he was towering over her, she just looked up defiantly.

‘You will watch your tone, young lady. And no, I do not think you are a joke. I think you are a sad story, Miss Kyle. A cautionary tale. I, for a fact, do not know where Master Bruce is, and even if I did, I would respect his wishes to not be found by the likes of you. Heaven knows how long I prayed for the end this… Infatuation. I have never understood the appeal.’

Selina never felt the urge to slap someone so strong before. But she didn’t. She laughed instead. A mirthless bitter laugh.

‘I knew it. I knew it. You rich people are all the same. You never change. Even after all this years and all this crap we went through. You just think we are all garbage because we didn’t go the same stuck up parties or know how to use properly all the twenty-seven forks you use to eat a single oyster. You use people than throw them away and you don’t feel guilty. You don’t feel anything. You know what? It doesn’t matter anymore. Fuck you. And fuck Bruce too.’

She left before he could say anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well… We all know Selina’s and Alfred’s relationship in Gotham is a bit… You know. To be fair I really don’t like Gotham’s Alfred. I think he gives a working class vibe that doesn’t match the character at all. And before someone accuses me of classism, I *am* working class lmao Very much so. Slum born. But Alfred shouldn’t be. I always thought him as a male Violet Crawley. Even more snobbish than Mr. Carson. And Gotham’s Alfred feels like a Call The Midwife character. This fic is character bashing free though, I don’t do that.  
> I’m taking a slightly different path from my script here, we should already have the first timeskip, this story has two, because I’ll not write a lot about Selina’s pregnancy, not much happens there. We still we have the ten years timeskip too. But I think the next chapter will be the last in this period, I think. Well. Till next time. Stay safe and send me your thoughts.


	7. Philia part II

‘Wanna a sip?’

Selina took the bottle Nikki was offering. Adding the smell of cheap booze to the list of things that now made her feel sick. She looked at the ring of the bottle, she wanted to drink it, she wanted to feel the burning liquid going down her throat, she wanted it to hurt, she wanted to do something she would regret later.

‘Selina?’ Nikki chuckled. ‘Are you high? You have been frozen like a statue looking at the bottle forever.’

She wanted to be high.

‘You know what? I don’t feel like drinking some lame cheap vodka.’

Nikki eyed her with confusion.

‘Alright…’ She cleaned her throat. ‘So, what you found out about how do we leave?’

Selina sighed.

‘There will be a boat coming in three weeks with more supplies for the construction of the new bridge, it will be in the harbour for a few days, I don’t know how many, we can go back with them. Pay someone to smuggle us in.’

Despite the government sending help, finally, it was still forbidden to leave Gotham, except in very special cases of you being really sick and in need to be transferred for a proper hospital or having a lot of money.

‘Three weeks? Geez, so long.’ Nikki complained. ‘I think we’ll need to be patient, then. Well, more time to think where we should go next.’

‘Look, Nikki, I don’t think-‘

She was interrupted by someone knocking on her door. Nikki and she shared a concerned look. It wasn’t like they were expecting visitors, or that Selina’s address was on the yellow pages.

Selina stood up from the ruined couch, took the knife from her thigh and went to the door.

‘Who is it?’

‘Selina? It’s me, Leslie.’

Selina made a half-confused, half-suspicious face to the door but didn’t open it.

‘What do you want?’

She heard Thompkins sigh from the other side.

‘Selina, please. I want to help.’

‘I don’t need your help. I’m not hurt.’ However, in some ways, that was far from the truth.

‘Selina… I know about the baby.’

‘Baby…?’ She heard Nikki ask confused behind her.

Selina opened the door as fast as she could despite the multiple locks she installed.

‘Get inside! Quick! Geez, are you stupid? Anyone could hear you!’

‘You wouldn’t open otherwise.’

Selina sneered at her.

‘So, Barbara told you. That’s what I get for trusting that nutcase.’

‘She just wanted to help you, Selina.’ Then she noticed Nikki. ‘Hello, I’m Dr Thompkins, you are?’

‘Yeah, I know who the Queen of the Narrows is, alright.’ She said apprehensive, but added later ‘I’m Nikki.’

‘Pleasure, Nikki.’

Feeling terrible uncomfortable by that whole setting, Selina turned to her friend.

‘Can you please leave? No offense, Nikki.’

‘Oh, it’s fine. Congrats… on the baby… I guess.’

Selina didn’t thank her. Her face was livid. Then she was alone with Lee Tompkins.

‘So, Selina. How are you feeling?’

‘How do you think?’ She snapped angrily.

Lee gave Selina that disgusting doe eyed compassionated look of hers.

‘I’m sorry, I know this is hard. I wasn’t a teenager back then, but I went through something like that before. I really came here because Barbara wanted to know if you were okay, and also to let you know you have options.’

‘Options? What are you talking about?’

‘Selina, you are very young. You have no income, this is not a place to raise a baby. If you want, we can arrange for an abortion.’

Selina felt the world side-track, she seriously haven’t thought about that. It was like the whole concept had been completely alien until Lee said those words. Abortion. She didn’t have to go through that. It was so stupid. Of course, the idea of her giving birth to a baby, being a mother, it was ridiculous. How could she thought that was no way out when it was so obvious? And yet…

‘You don’t have to decide now. Just think about it and come to my office then. I’ll go now. Take care.’

Selina spent the next three days thinking hard about what Leslie told her. It really seem the most obvious thing to do. Just terminate that pregnancy, that mistake, and just go forward with her life, her plans of leaving Gotham, of making something for herself elsewhere.

All her life, her first and most urgent imperative was to survive. That’s why she always had to put herself first, because since her mother dumped her in that orphanage nobody had. A child would change that. A child would have to make her put herself in second place. And experience had been teaching her over and over again why that was a terrible idea.

It was decided. She would have an abortion and everything would be okay. Or least okayer than before.

So why could she even imagine herself doing that? Maybe if it was someone else’s child, maybe if she couldn’t remember clearly how that baby was made and how she felt that night, the warmth of his touch, how sweet it was to have her name in his lips, maybe she would feel different. Maybe she would have no doubt when it would come to make the wisest choice. But it was hers and Bruce’s baby. And no matter how hurt she felt, how angry… She couldn’t do it. How could she? That baby was the only proof she had she was loved once. She couldn’t just make it disappear. And Selina knew that she was being stupid and would make her already shitty life a million times harder but she just couldn’t do it.

That poor kid would have the stupidest homeless teenaged mother.

Alfred found her in a back alley next to Leslie’s clinic feeding some local strays.

‘Good afternoon, Miss Kyle.’

Selina looked at him like he had said something funny and dumb, but other than that ignored him. Scratching the head of an orange tabby.

‘Nice day, isn’t it?’

‘I don’t know what you are trying to pull. But I have no time for it.’

She stood up from her crouching position and was ready to leave when he talked again.

‘Selina, I’m sorry.’

She stopped. He hardly used her first name, and even more rarer than that apologised.

‘It was very unbecoming of me to say those words to you. I know how you and Master Bruce care for each other. And I am grateful for every time you saved his life when I could not be there.’

And maybe it was the stupid hormones but Selina felt a lump in her throat.

Fighting back tears she turned her face to him.

‘She told you, didn’t she? Leslie? Or was it Barbara? That’s why you’re telling me this stuff. God, why do I keep doing this? Why do I keep trusting people that will betray me later? Look, I don’t need your help, or your pity or you money. It is my baby, I’ll take care of it just fine.’

Bruce had told Selina once that Alfred was an actor for a time in his life, and as hilarious and hard to believe it have been back then, she didn’t think even an Oscar winning actor could fake surprise that well.

‘Pardon? What did you just say, Miss?’

She panicked.

‘Just forget it. Apology accepted, let’s never deal with each other ever again.’

She tried to leave again, but he blocked her path.

‘No. You will explain to me what you have just said. Miss Kyle, are you expecting?’

‘I don’t have to tell you anything, Jeeves.’

‘Are you serious? Are you really with child? And it is Master Bruce’s?’

If she thought she was the most annoyed she could be, well, she was wrong.

‘Of course it’s his. What do you take me for? No, scratch that. It’s mine, just mine, Bruce left.’

He didn’t say anything for a while, and Selina thought he was finally letting her go.

‘Miss… I really do not know where he is.’

And maybe was how broken he sounded but Selina felt herself falling in that pit of despair she had crawled out far too recently to go back again.

‘I don’t care.’

‘If you need help, with anything-‘

‘Are you stupid? Or are your hearing already going bad? I don’t want your fucking help, and now get out of my way.’

But after that conversation Selina would always find food at her door, sometimes her squat was eerie tidier than it was when she left, and even her pile of clothes were now folded in orderly fashion and smelling fresh clean no matter how she avoided laundry day.

She knew what was up. And as nice as it was having someone taking care of her, she really hated that he was just doing it because of the baby in her belly. Also he was invading her privacy, how dare him!

So she went knock at his door.

‘Miss Kyle, what a surprise.’

‘I came here to tell you to stop.’

‘I don’t know what you mean, Miss.’

‘Oh please. I’ve already told you. The baby is mine. I don’t care what twisted plan you have, but you won’t be taking him from me.’

‘It is a boy?’

‘I don’t know, Leslie says it’s too soon to tell, but it doesn’t matter. Bruce’s participation was over when he pulled it out.’

Alfred sighed. He wasn’t mad at her vulgarity anymore, but he looked very tired, very sad.

‘Miss, as I told you before, I am sorry for what I said. And no, I did not try to apologise that day because I already knew you were with child. I really did not know. And I would never take a baby from his mother.’

Selina said nothing, he continued.

‘And I was not lying when I said I do not know where Master Bruce is. I have tried the best I could, but he is not using any of his money, none of his numbers are working anymore, my letters returned. I do not even know if he is dead or alive. That boy was my whole life, and now the only thing that might have survived of him is you and the child in your belly.’

Selina felt like her heart was turned to lead, it was so heavy it was hard to breathe. Bruce couldn’t… He couldn’t…

‘So what?’ She managed ‘It doesn’t mean you have any right over us.’

‘I know. But I am begging you, Miss Kyle. Let me help.’ And there was so much despair in his voice, Selina felt sorry for him.

'So you’re really not coming?’

Nikki pushed a piece of hair the wind had blown to her face, Selina hugged herself to keep warm, it was very cold in the harbour, she was grateful for the new larger jackets that Barbara had given her. She was dumping on Selina a lot of her pregnancy stuff, most of it was useless, why would she wear so many maternity sequin party dresses?

‘Yeah… Sorry about that.’

‘It’s fine I guess. But you are really sure about raising a baby in this place? I mean, it was already a dump before…’

Selina actually laughed at that.

‘I know, right? But, I think it might get better now. So many changes happening. Maybe it was a shitty place for us, but it won’t be for her. And my doctor is here.’

‘It’s a her now?’

‘I don’t know, I keep trying both.’

‘Oh, I know about that.’

They both giggled at the lame joke.

‘Good luck, Nikki.’

‘Thank you. Good luck you too, and the baby. It was nice to meet you again, Selina.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are, finally, about to reach the timeskip. I don’t know you all but I’m ready to have Bruce back, I miss him.  
> I hope I didn’t give a pro-forced birth vibe in this chapter, I’m veeeery pro-choice, and I tried had to not use problematic language when it came for Selina deciding to keep her baby.  
> Also, the whole Selina and Alfred dynamic was really tough to write, because as I said before, I don’t enjoy the characterisation of Gotham’s Alfred very much. But I hope I made a decent job.  
> Till next time, don’t forget to wash your hands and tell me what you are thinking of this story.


	8. Philia part III

Selina watched over her daughter sleep, and marvelled over the miracle she is. Her full head of dark hair, delicate paper-like still wrinkled skin, the eyes, now closed, she knows, are still misty blue, and although Alfred told her most baby eyes change colours she hopes the blue hue will remain.

‘What will you call her?’ Asked Barbara leaning on the crib next to Selina, she smoothed away some imaginary wrinkles on the baby’s blanket.

‘Helena.’ Told Selina, caressing her daughter’s soft rosy cheek with the tip of her fingers.

‘Helena? Where did you get that from?’

‘A Portuguese painter.’ When Selina got too heavy to move around the rebuilding Gotham, she had decided to get some proper education now she was to be a mother. She enrolled herself in distance education courses, and found out most of the stuff she otherwise would find boring was actually interesting when she didn’t have to worry so hard about her next meal. But it took a fair amount of time and persuasion, and a lot of nagging for her to get to the point that she had to accept that she needed help and that there was people willing to take care of her.

And although she really hated math, she got really interested in art despite having no talent of herself, she had made some awful watercolours before deciding that she liked more knowing about art than doing art. It was weird to get to that conclusion because never before she had been better in knowing than doing.

‘Helena Wayne,’ Barbara stated, ‘it has a nice ring.’

‘Helena _Kyle_.’ Selina corrected her, annoyed, she was so tired of that stupid conversation but Barbara wouldn’t let it go, even Alfred wasn’t pushing her anymore in that aspect. He had found no trace of Bruce whatsoever and even though Selina knew he would never give up hope and stop searching, he talked about Bruce each day less. She knew he was bottling it up, and burying himself under his work on the reconstruction of the Manor, but she just didn’t have remaining energy or will at all to try to talk to him about it. She had a new baby to worry about. Bruce left, he _left_. He chose to leave. One day Alfred would have to get over it.

‘You seriously will never tell her? What will you say to her in a few years? Because she will ask.’

Selina took a deep breath.

‘I’ll have a few years to come up with something then, won’t I? Stop nagging me about it!’

‘Geez, temper! Go to sleep, your affliction is exhaustion, and you heard Lee, you should sleep while she is asleep too.’

That was Barbara now, _mom Barbara_ , annoying as hell mom Barbara. As usual the power went to her head. But unlike when she was a crime lady, she usually meant well.

‘I’m not sleepy. Where is Babs? She’s nicer to talk than you.’

Barbara Lee’s vocabulary consisted in basically four works: ‘mama’; ‘wee’, for Lee; ‘wina’, for Selina and ‘no’. And she mostly used the last one. No ‘dada’ yet to Gordon’s greatest grief.

‘She’s still at Jim’s. I thought it was better having just one baby in the house for the first days.’

‘Barbara… You didn’t have to…’

‘Oh, don’t be silly. And it’s not a favour, you are paying me back later.’

Selina snorted.

‘Of course.’

The years that went by made changes not only in Selina’s life but also in Gotham herself. With Lucius Fox as its designer, Gotham now was technological marvel even if it had kept its gothic aesthetics. You could see the clash between chromed skyscrapers and centenary gargoyles on the same street. By Helena’s second birthday the Mansion was up again, Alfred made various invites to Selina to move in with the toddler, but she refused. She was finishing her high school degree and working at an internship in one of the new opened galleries opened by Barbara’s old contacts that decided to return to the city. 

When Helena was five and started kindergarten they moved from Barbara’s to a small studio apartment on East End. By then, Selina had returned to work with the underbelly of the Gotham, but now she didn’t go to small stuff, she made enough on her day job to feed herself and her daughter, but she didn’t want to let the label of young struggling mother to define her, and she had a real talent, why not use it?

Each job made her name climb higher on the art world scene as a notorious thief. It made her feel proud of who she was. Of course, it wasn’t something she could share with her kid, but she liked to have something for herself. She loved Helena, so much she never thought it was possible to love someone like that, but she wouldn’t be the kind of woman that the only thing she valued in life was motherhood.

One night she was coming back from a job when she heard screams and found a cop trying to rape a small mouse-haired teenager girl. After saving the girl, almost killing the cop, and promising to make Jim Gordon’s life hell until his trashy employee was locked in Blackgate to rot, she decided to take Holly in. How couldn’t she? It was stupid, another mouth to feed, and a strange person in her house when she was so used to be just her and Helena, but it was also nice to have someone that understood how her life used to be. It was even nicer to show Holly that things could be different.

And life with a traumatized fourteen years old and a bubbly five years old could be eventful. Helena fell in love with Holly instantly, trying to copy the older girl’s every move to the point of being annoying. Holly tried to be kind to Helena, especially in the beginner days when she was terrified to do something wrong and be thrown in the streets again. But a year later she was comfortable enough to tell Helena to shut up when she would talk non-stop during a movie session or call her out when she touched her stuff without permission. But the girls usually would get along well, sometimes too well to Selina’s liking. If she thought that Holly would always take her side for feeling that she owed her forever, she had fooled herself. Between Selina and Helena it was pretty clear with whom Holly’s loyalty lied with.

Selina didn’t mind as much as she pretended to. In truth, between her dangerous life and all tragedy that she had endured and seen over the years, the knowledge that her daughter had so many people that loved her and would take care of her if something happened to Selina helped her to sleep at night. 

When Helena was six she asked Selina the first time. She knew Alfred and others have been telling her stories about Bruce since the beginning, she never forbade it in first place, but Helena had never asked her directly before.

‘Your daddy left, kitten.’

‘To where?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘He didn’t want to be with us?’ Helena eyes were wide with tears, they became green around her fourth birthday, a little darker than Selina’s and with blue and golden specs, they were the most beautiful eyes Selina had even seen. She even commissioned a portrait from her favourite forger.

Selina heart broke and the old pain came back, aching and still very much alive.

‘He didn’t know about you. He left before I found out.’

‘Why didn’t he come back?’

Selina gathered her daughter in her arms pressing her small soft body close to hers, Helena smelt like baby lotion and cookies, Selina breathed in sighing.

‘I don’t know, baby, I don’t know.’

She felt such a failure in those moments, mommy should know everything.

Batman made his debut when Helena was almost ten.

Selina knew exactly who he was. No one else would be that ridiculous or dramatic. His mask had _bat ears_. It was plain stupid. Yes, her costume had ears too, but hers were tasteful and sexy. Bat ears. Bat _man_. What a nerd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I’m ending this chapter here. Insert evil laugh  
> Lot of telling not showing in this one, but it I had to show all that I told you it would take foreeeeeeeeeeeeveeeeeeer.  
> I think you noticed this story changed its tone a bit, no more angsty stuff, that was the plan, things get better as time goes by. But I did let some upsetting stuff out concerning Holly because I didn’t want to deal with that.  
> Well, this is it for today. Again, thank you so much for the kudos and bookmarks, extra thank you for the people commenting you have NO IDEA of how that helps. Especially in times like these.  
> Keep taking care of yourselves.


	9. Philia part IV

‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne.’

He touches her for the first time in ten years. It’s just her hand that he takes to his lips and he wants to pretend that the time stops, that the whole world is made of just the two of them. But the time doesn’t stop, she takes her hand back so fast it is almost rude, and they are far from being alone. There is noise of conversation, obnoxious rich people laughter, clinking of Champaign glasses and Selina’s arm in hooked to another man’s. A new money fellow, Bruce already forgot his name despite him being the one “introducing” Selina to Bruce.

‘Darling, I need to powder my nose.’

Bruce chokes with the Champaign he was pretending to drink. So that was Selina’s bimbo persona. A lady from an old timey movie.

‘Of course, sweetheart, but don’t lose yourself in the way.’

Selina laughs but Bruce can see the murderous intention in her eyes. He tries to record her laugh in his memory even if it’s fake.

‘She is very pretty. Where have you met?’ Brucie Wayne, billionaire playboy asks.

The guy, he really should have payed attention to the name, gives Bruce a cocky smile.

‘From a friend, he was interested in her, of course, who wouldn’t? I mean, look at her! But I stole her from him, took too long to make his move.’

‘Oh really? How clever of you.’

That would have sounded passive-aggressive from anyone, but Brucie Wayne with his dumb expressions and too many teeth smiles somehow made it sound genuinely impressed.

Selina didn’t come back, another man joined the conversation, Bruce pretended someone else called him and left looking for her.

He finds her with her on the balcony, her backless satin dress shimmers under the moonlight. Selina is facing the city outside with her noisy cars and cold hallowing wind, her hair is so long now, still curly, it’s blonder now too, she wears expensive perfume. She shivers when he gets closer, he wants to hold her.

‘Why did you come back?’

‘I told you I would.’

She lets out a mirthless dry laugh, Bruce gets even closer, he wants do touch her. He doesn’t. He wants her to look at him. She won’t.

‘Do you have any idea what you did...’ She finally says. ‘...just leaving?’ She takes a shaking breath. ‘You were all I had. And I know you wanted to protect me. But I didn't want to be protected. I wanted you.’

Bruce holds his breath, he feels like the whole world is so fragile that is he moves everything will crumble.

‘Say something.’

But he suddenly forgot how to form words. He has so much to say to her, it could full all the world’s libraries, and now all those words choke him, it’s impossible to say anything.

‘Say something.’ She pleads softly. And she sounds so raw, so desperate, he for the first time ponders if he made a mistake. That’s why he couldn’t say goodbye personally, because all his seeming unbreakable resolve could have never been Selina Kyle proof.

‘There was no other way, Selina. I had to go.’ He finally manages. And when she sobers up, straitening her back and holding her head up high, he knows he said the wrong thing, even though it’s the truth.

‘So what happens now?’ She asks, her voice hard and cold.

‘I don't know. But I'll never leave Gotham again.’ He adds the last lamely.

‘Selina? What are you doing here?’ Bruce and Selina puts distance between themselves. And Bruce can’t stop the feelings stirring in the pit of his stomach by seen her transform her entire demeanour. The real Selina, his Selina, is gone, and before him there is a complete stranger. She smiles, her whole posture changes, she starts blinking a little too much fanning her eyelashes, and swings her hips when she walks to her beau, putting her hand on his bicep. Bruce haven’t felt that in a very long time it takes him a while to identify it as jealousy.

‘Hi, honey.’ Her voice drips with sugar, Bruce feels ill. ‘I needed a little bit of air, I think I had one too many. Mr. Wayne here was just…’

‘I was just telling her about my last polo match.’

‘Really? I didn’t know you cared about polo, Selina.’

She laughs, and know Bruce feels betrayed by how fake it sounds.

‘Darling, I really don’t know a thing about polo, but I didn’t want to be rude.’

He wonders who taught her to act like that, through those many years he had so many masters, he now question if the same might happened to Selina in some level. That the distance between then is now too great like she had promised to him it was so many years ago.

‘Bruce, were you boring my Selina?’

Brucie Wayne would have laughed, he might even tripped and dripped his drink a little. But Bruce didn’t want to be Brucie Wayne anymore that night. He excuses himself and leaves.

That Wednesday Selina is doing some work – the lawful one – in her kitchen table as she always does, when Alfred appears to take Helena out for brunch, as he always does.

‘How are you doing, Miss Kyle?’

‘I’m fine, thank you for asking. You are doing fine, too, I guess no broken hips or other old people accidents?’ But she sounds more hopeful than concerned.

Alfred ignores the fight bait.

‘Oh, I am doing terrific, Miss.’

‘I thought as much.’

‘Where is the little lady?’ She frees the way for him to get in, by this time a small bundle of dark curls hugging him and asking five hundred questions by minute should already have tackled him. But the apartment is silent.

‘She is at Barbara Lee’s they are doing a project for school, I heard.’

Deception changes his whole expression.

‘Oh, well. I came here for nothing, then.’

Selina crosses her arms leaning to the table.

‘I could’ve called you, but why, oh why would I give you that courtesy when you couldn’t do the same for me?’

Alfred takes a deep breath.

‘I told Master Bruce you would be upset.’ He mutters.

‘And can you blame, me? Jesus, Alfred I thought we were past this!’

‘I am the most sorry, Miss. Master Bruce wanted to give you the good news himself.’

She snorts.

‘Why now? He didn’t bother the last time.’ She says bitterly.

‘You will have to ask him that yourself.’ Says Alfred. Selina’s and Bruce’s relationship is a bloody huge wasp nest and he really doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. ‘And concerning Miss Helena...’

‘There is nothing to Helena that concerns Bruce.’ She cuts him.

‘He is her father.’

‘No he isn’t. He is a complete stranger with no relations to her whatsoever. _I_ am her father. The only one she ever had.’

‘I agree that you made a stellar job raising Miss Helena, I would never dispute that. Nevertheless, she has the right to meet her father. If you deny her that you would be unreasonable and selfish.’

He mouth falls, as she stands flabbergasted.

‘Selfish? That’s what you still think of me after all I sacrificed to raise Helena _and_ Holly? You know what, Alfred? Get out.’ She points to the door.

‘Pardon?’

‘You’ve heard me, get the fuck out. I can’t stand even looking at you right now.’

‘Well, if you are going to be like that, I will go. I really meant no rudeness, Miss. I just think the child have the right to know where she comes from. Take care.’

‘Oh she knows where she comes from, _me_!’

When Selina closes the door she notices her hand shaking. For the first time in her life she was happy, everything was working out, and now he was back and she felt like was about to lose everything. She once had loved Bruce Wayne, now she is pretty sue she hates him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not Helena, but be patient, all in its time. And Alfred and Selina are fighting once again. I feel that, in this universe, that will always happen in some way or another.  
> The first scene was based in the old jazz song: You Don’t Know Me. Bruce and Selina dance a lot of jazz in my head because I listen far too much of it XDD. Maybe I’ll make a playlist sometime, with Misty, Cry Me a River and Chances Are (this song is soooooo Selina), and that version of If I Didn’t Care with Amy Adams and Lee Pace.  
> I also want to thank everyone for the feedback, you are all amazing and all make me feel so wonderful when you take the time to tell me what you are thinking of this story. But I also want to give a special thanks to brvceselina on tumblr for the post they made about this story, you are the best!  
> Keep social distancing, washing your hands and taking care of yourselves. I see you soon.


	10. Philia part V

‘Lena? That movie you wanted to watch is on the catalogue now. Have you finished your homework?’

No answer. Holly frowned.

Sighing, Holly grabbed her phone from the coffee table, Helena must have be listening to music with her headphones again.

Lena? The Cat Returns is on Netflix. Wanna watch with me? I’ll make us some popcorn :)

Sorry, too tired. (sleepy emoji)

R u sure? It’s only 10.

No answer.

Even though Holly believed in miracles, that one was a tiny bit hard to believe. When Helena was five and she moved in with Selina, the girl never went to bed early. I was actually a routine fight between mother and daughter until one day Selina gave up and said she could sleep as late as she wanted as long as she was ready to school in time every morning.

So Holly decided to check it out. She knocked on Helena’s door, no answer, she pushed the door a little, the lights were out the Helena lied asleep in her She-ra pyjamas. Well, maybe she had a busy day at school. Holly sighed and went back to the kitchenette thinking about stealing a bit of Selina’s nice martini when she found a handmade chocolate truffle wrapped on yellow cellophane with a post it on the top of It, ‘For Holly’ written on Helena’s curly handwrite.

‘Awwwn, cute!’

She took the candy and a glass of martini and went back to the sofa, there was another thing she have been wanting to watch but it was not appropriate for a nine years old and it didn’t involve enchanted cat royalty.

Helena sneaked out of her room, her mom was still out and she knew she wouldn’t be coming at least until 3. She tiptoed silently to where Holly lied asleep, her plan was working. It wasn’t hard to take one of her mother’s prescription sleeping pills, crush it and put it on Holly’s favourite coconut cream filled chocolate truffles. Alfred taught her to make them, and they were very good. Helena turned off the TV, some weird vampire drama with a lot of blood was on. They needed to talk about Holly’s taste on fiction. She grabbed the throw blanket from the chair and coved Holly, she didn’t even stir. That stuff her mother was taking was strong. Maybe they should talk about that too. When her mom and Holly stopped being mad at her that is. Helena felt a pang of guilty, but it didn’t last.

That was being a very, very demanding job. She had to go in three terrible dates with Brad Ritchie, the most absurdly dull person she even known in her entire life to get information for that heist. He was a new money guy, with no idea what to do with his millions so, she thought, he had spun a wheel of rich people’s hobbies and picked art. Most of the things he would buy were pure overpriced pretentious crap, but he recently bought a genuine piece of Mughal art that was in her client’s wish list for a very long time.

And also Brad was the kind of the guy that made her job feel less than a crime and more like a public service. Of course only herself and her client were being serviced, but so what? They were part of the public too.

The actual heist was no trouble at all, the penthouse apartment was easy to break in, she hacked the security system in just a few seconds and the lock in the vault was from a model she had already done before, the actual harder part was to find the small black velvet box among all the crap he collected. It was a stunning piece, a dagger, it’s handle was sculpted jade with gold, rubies and emeralds embellishments. If her client wasn’t paying an obscene amount of money she would have kept it for herself. A girl can enjoy nice things.

She was about to leave the scene, already thinking about the sinking in her bathtub with her new honeysuckle bath salts when he appeared with his ridiculous flying rat costume.

‘Put it back.’

She just rolled her eyes. What gave him the strange idea that dress like a weirdo gave him permission to give her orders?

‘Selina, put it back.’ He said again grabbing her arm.

‘How did you even know I’d be here?’ Selina asked perplexed.

‘I know about you little business, _Catwoman_. You got famous. I knew exactly what you were doing with Brad Ritchie.’

‘Yeah? And what was that exactly?’ Was he calling her an opportunistic slut? Well, she could admit that she was opportunistic and being a sexually available single mom made you a slut according to Brenda, that bitch head of Helena’s school PTA.

‘Seducing him to steal from him.’

‘So what if I was? It’s nothing of your business. Unhandle me!’ She said pulling her arm back, but he didn’t let go.

‘Put it back.’ He said one more time, one too many.

Selina used the arm he was holding to elbow him in the stomach, Batman took the hit, but didn’t seen out of breath like she expected and instead tried to grab her again, but it was too late, Selina had already started to flew. He chased her through the rooftops.

‘I see that you have been training’ she shouted between jumps. ‘You might be all big and strong now, but I’m still faster.’

He didn’t answer to her provocations just kept pursuing her, and as she jumped each time higher and faster Selina felt adrenaline coursing through her body like she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She found after a while that the reason for the face to be starting to hurt wasn’t caused by the cold wind at all, but because she haven’t been able to stop smiling during the whole chase. And to give Batman a little of credit he had almost touched her a few times, each fleeting contact even through their full covered bodies sending electric straight to her centre.

But the fun ended when the sirens started to wail coming from the city. Batman stopped and Selina, from safety, observed him, it was like he was hearing some sort of comm, then he left following the sirens. He didn’t look back at her. But he didn’t before either. 

Bruce is tired, if running after Selina wasn’t hard enough, he had already stopped three muggins before getting to her, and there was a robbery at a department store downtown with a hostage situation, fortunately nobody died but two cops and a victim were shot. Police and people didn’t trust Batman yet to complicate matters, and he wasn’t exactly trying to be friendly either. But what really got to him that night was Selina. Why was she still leading a life of crime? Haven’t she changed at all? Or had she changed indeed, but not improved? He knew she was a good person, so why did she continue doing bad things? He couldn’t wrap the reason around his mind.

He was going to stop at the study to get his laptop for his report when he had such a weird flashback that he thought his tired mind was playing tricks on him.

Selina was coming down from the window, the wind coming from outside blowing her curls and the curtains. But that Selina was even younger than the one he remembered from their first days, she also wore a pair of neon purple sneakers that child Selina wouldn’t never be caught dead wearing. Her wide smile was missing a tooth.

‘Hi! Have you seen my Alfie?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We had classic BatCat dynamics in this one and you had a peak on Miss Helena. And she is a piece of work as expected to a kid raised by Selina and spoiled by Alfred and Barbara as her pseudo-grandparents (but Barbara will personally gut anyone who points that to her, her own daughter is after all just a few months older than Helena). Bruce also has to let his lovesick memory Selina go and face the real thing, meanwhile Selina’s anger don’t stop her feeling other things for Bruce. Hmmmm.
> 
> There is A LOT of story to happen still, guys. I hope to be able to keep you with me until the end.
> 
> Keep taking care of yourselves and your loved ones. I’ll be back soon.


	11. Philia part VI

There was a strange man in her Alfie’s study.

He was very tall and large, not like her uncle Harvey that was large in a fluffy way, this man was all hard edges, although he was wearing a long velvet dressing gown that looked very soft. His dark hair was wet and pushed back, he had sad blue eyes.

‘Who are you?’ He asked. His voice a whisper, like he had just seen a ghost.

‘I’m Helena, who are _you_?’

‘Hello, Helena. I’m Bruce.’

‘Really?!’ She couldn’t contain her excitement. That was Bruce Wayne! From the stories everybody – except her mom – told her since when she could remember. They never told her the exact words, but she always had the suspicion that he was her father. He didn’t look anything like she pictured him in her imagination or seen in her dreams. That Bruce was young and energetic, she always imagined someone like the Superman from Metropolis. But this man was dark and looked very tired, very human. She was a bit disappointed.

‘Do you know who I am?’

‘Duh, who doesn’t know who the prince of Gotham is?’

He raised an eyebrow to that, his lips in an almost smile. A twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

Helena walked from the window to the sofa, throwing herself on the cushions with remarkable familiarity. Bruce Wayne didn’t move from his position next to the table.

‘How did you get in, Helena?’

‘The security in this place sucks.’ She didn’t see him mouthing the words as she spoke them.

‘And you came for Alfred, you said. How do you know him?’

‘I don’t know. Since forever. I think he is my godfather or something, or is that uncle Jim? You know, I have to ask my mom. So, have you seen him?’

‘He’s on a holiday. But he should come back soon.’

‘Oh… I didn’t know he took holidays. I didn’t think she would allow.’

‘She?’

She giggled.

‘It’s a joke. We say that Alfie is married to the Mansion.’

He chuckled. And she felt a wave of proud for making such a gloomy looking man smile.

‘I suppose this could be true. So, Helena’ he was repeating her name over and over again, as if he was trying it on ‘what business a young lady like you have with my butler this late?’

‘He hasn’t been visiting…’ She pouted. ‘I think he’s fighting mom. They fight a lot. Sometimes is silly and funny, but other times it isn’t… And I haven’t seen him for a while. I miss him.’

‘Your mother…’ He hesitated and Helena took a breath, she knew what he would ask next. ‘Who is she?’

Helena wasn’t in her room. Selina knew that because the first thing she would do after getting home was to check on her and give her kiss on the forehead as she lied asleep. But she wasn’t in her bed. The apartment showed no signs of a break in, the bed was unmade but no signs of struggle either. Trying not to panic, she went to the living room to find Holly dead asleep with the blanket slipping to the floor. She tried to shake Holly awake.

‘Holly! Holly! Where is Helena?’

‘Lena…?’ Said Holly groggily. ‘Oh, hi Selina… Goodnight, so… sleepy…’ And she closed her eyes again, useless.

Now Selina was in full panic mode.

She ran back to Helena’s room to try to find some clue of what might have happened. It was all her fault, all her fault. Someone that had a grudge against her might have found out Catwoman’s identity and coming for her. What the worst thing you can do to a thief? Steal her most prized treasure, and that was her daughter.

She dialled Alfred first, but no one was picking up. Swearing, she called Barbara and nervously explained the situation.

‘I know it’s hard but try to calm down, Selina. Think with a clear mind. You said there was no sighs of break in or struggle, that Holly seems drugged. Yes, a professional could do that, but you have to think of the possibly that she went out on her own.’

‘Went where?! It’s the middle of the night, Barbara, where the fuck would she go? And for what?’

She heard Babara Lee’s voice on the background but couldn’t tell what she was saying.

‘Babs said she was thinking about making Alfred a visit, but was afraid you wouldn’t let her.’

Selina clenched her eyes shut.

‘Shit.’

Barbara started saying something, but Selina ended the call. The world was spinning a little slower. She took her keys and left.

She probably got tons of speeding tickets that night, she couldn’t care less, Barbara was calling her nonstop, and she saw some incoming calls from Lee and Jim too. In the mindspace Selina was, there was no possibility of her taking any call without the danger of driving straight to a three, so she just ignored the annoying buzz throwing her phone on the backseat. The journey to Wayne Mansion have never seem so damn long before. Why did rich people had to build their stupid hugeass houses in the most remote part of the city? It was asking for trouble if you asked her. How did Helena go there on her own? The thought of her taking a cab or an uber all alone in the middle of the night gave Selina chills. To think she would make that trip all the time alone when she was just a little older than Helena, half by bus half by foot, sometimes hitchhiking on some creep’s truck, how she had never been raped and murdered was a mystery.

When Selina reached the Mansion’s gates the despair bubbling inside her was unbearable, she got the enter code wrong two times before racing with the car inside. She parked in the lawn in front of the house not caring a little bit about Alfred’s prized begonias and entered the second code, this time she got it in the first try.

‘Helena?’ She shouted, her voice echoing on the long darkened corridors. ‘Alfred? Where are you? Oh my God where are you kitten? Please be here, please be here.’

She finally reached the study, her daughter apparently safe and sound, asleep on her favourite sofa, from a chair in front of her, Bruce stood up.

‘Hi, Selina.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I stop ending chapters like that? Maybe, but it is such fun! And it isn’t like you are suffering a lot. I post all the time.
> 
> I think you (on AO3) noticed that now I have an idea of how many chapters this story will have. It’s an odd number and I don’t like it, but I also might have plans for an epilogue??? We’ll see. If you want to get some freebies about this story you can follow my writing blog on tumblr, I’m username pandoraimperatrix
> 
> Have a nice weekend my darlings, be safe!


	12. Philia part VII

Selina walked past Bruce ignoring him, and went straight to her daughter gathering her in her arms and holding her tight.

‘Hmmm? Mom?’ She asked sleepy and confused.

‘Helena what were you thinking?’

‘I… Are you mad?’

‘Of course I am mad! You leave the house, alone, in the middle of the night, without saying to anyone where you’re going! What do you think?’

‘Sorry, mommy.’ She pouted, her eyes big and watering.

‘Oh, I hope you are. I just don’t understand why Helena? You know you can come here all the time.’

‘Alfie wasn’t visiting anymore…’

‘Why didn’t you just call him?’

‘I thought you guys were fighting and he wouldn’t want to come to see me.’

‘Helena, what have we talked about assuming things about other people without asking first?’

‘I know, mom… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’ Helena held her mother hard, tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘Shhh kitten, don’t cry, hn? No tears.’ Selina cleaned her daughter’s tears with her thumbs. ‘That’s better. Just promise me you won’t do this again.’

‘I promise mommy. Am I grounded?’

‘Of course you are.’ Selina said still holding her daughter and rubbing her arms. ‘What the hell did you do to Holly?’

‘Oops?’

‘Jesus, Helena. Go wait in the car.’

‘It’s late, you could stay.’

Selina turned back to Bruce alarmed like she just remembered he was also there.

‘Yes, mommy! I miss my Mansion room.’

Bruce raised both of his eyebrows to that.

‘No need. We’re leaving.’ Selina said dryly.

‘Mommy!’

Selina glared hat her daughter.

‘Helena, do you really think you are in position to bargain, now?’

‘Didn’t hurt to try.’ Helena said sheepishly.

Selina raised her eyes begging for patience.

‘Go wait in the car, Helena.’

‘Okay…’ She sighed defeated. ‘Goodnight, Mr. Wayne, it was nice to finally meet you.’

‘Goodnight, Helena.’

They silently watched the little girl walk away, her dark curls bouncing.

Selina then took a deep, tired breath.

‘Thank you for keeping her safe.’ Selina said holding herself.

‘No problem. She is a very smart young lady.’

‘That she is, sometimes I think she’s too smart for her own good.’

‘She is very much like her mother, then.’

Selina felt a wave of emotions hit her so hard after those words that she knew she has to leave before embarrassing herself.

‘Are you okay? You are shaking.’ He reached his arm to touch her but Selina avoided him. Bruce put his hands in his pockets. ‘Are you sure you can drive?’

‘I’m fine.’ She managed to say in a strangled voice. ‘And I’m leaving, bye.’ She took another deep breath.

‘Selina?’ He asked when she was in the doorway.

She stopped.

‘That night, why did you pretend you didn’t know me?’

She took so long to answer that he almost thought she wouldn’t. And then he wished she didn’t.

‘Because I don’t. Goodnight, Mr. Wayne.’

Despite his tiredness Bruce didn't go to bed that night. The cave was far from being completed, but it was already in use. He had enough to make a working lab for the basics like DNA tests. He took the swab he used to collect saliva from Helena when she was sleeping from the vial in his pocket, then took another clear one and used it to collect a sample from himself. He already knew the result or hoped he did. In that moment he couldn’t say which was scarier.

Next morning exactly fifteen minutes after Helena left for school Selina heard her doorbell ring. She was in no mood to see anyone after the hell she went through the night before. And after she brought Helena home and listed the punishments she would have to face from now on – which just “apologise to Holly” was the one that would actually stick – she called Barbara to tell what happened. Then called Lee to repeat what she had just said to Barbara, assure Jim that everything was fine and that she would personally kill him if he sent cops to her place, then back to Lee to ask her if Holly would be okay. Both women tried to pry into her life and how was things now that Bruce was back and what was he like with Helena, but she ignored them.

Selina then covered Holly with a warmer and bigger blanket, checked Helena again, she was asleep and for that she was grateful. After that, when the sky was brightening and she sent a text to her boss – the proper one – that she was sick and could go that day. And then, only then, she decided to take a shower – RIP relaxing bath with fancy salts – and go to bed.

Too bad in three hours she had a kid to wake, and feed, and get ready for school, and coach a grown adult woman to take said kid to school and go to work, but she had all the intention to go back to bed after all that when the bell rang.

And behind the door was the last person she ever wanted to see her in that state: Bruce Wayne. But when he took off the shades he was wearing indoors like a hipster, she noticed that even though he was not a mess of bed hair and rumpled silk PJs like her, he was also looking like hell.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Good morning to you too, Selina. We need to talk.’

She rolled her eyes so far into her head that she went temporally blind.

‘I have nothing to talk to you, goodbye.’

She tried to close the door on his face, but Bruce stopped her.

‘I’m calling the cops!’

‘Yeah, that will happen a lot. Stop being so childish, Selina! Let me in!’

‘Oh, I did that, fifteen years ago, and what I got? A bullet in my spine.’

‘Selina, come on!’ He pushed harder, she let go, he almost fell. She smiled sadistically, but he was in. Bruce straightened himself and closed the door behind him. Selina made a beeline for the martini, she was sure whichever conversation Bruce intended to have with her, she wasn’t sober enough to stand it.

‘I’ll give you a chance to tell me, who Helena’s father is?’

She snorted, spitting the martini, then she had to put the glass back on the counter because her laugher was too strong.

‘Give _me_ a chance? Oh my God you are so arrogant. It’s pathetic.’

‘She is mine, isn’t she? Tell me, Selina!’

The laughter was gone, her whole face was contorted with red fury now.

‘I tried to! Don’t you think I did? Ten years ago when you just left? I wanted to tell you right away, but you wasn’t here! And how dare you, appear here like I owe you something, like you deserved any kind of explanation. How dare you say that Helena is yours. She is _my_ daughter, Bruce. Mine. You are nothing to her. To either of us.’

Bruce felt like he just have been defeated in battle and in some ways he had. He remembered his training, tried to calm himself, tried to understand where his opponent was coming from. And then he thought about the Selina he left, the despair she must have felt after being abandoned once again by someone she loved. And what must have been her reaction to find out she was also pregnant. They were so young. Bruce closed his eyes, he thought about all the extensive research he made on Helena and Selina that night and morning. How Helena had a perfectly normal life, how bright she was. How Selina had tuned her life around even if she still kept her not so honourable practices, he was proud of her, and yet he knew he had no right to be.

‘Selina…’ He tried to touch her, but they were once again set apart when the door suddenly opened.

‘Helena! What are you doing here?’

‘School sent us back home. I came walking. Hello, Mr. Wayne, are you staying for lunch?’

‘What? He is not. Why did the school send you back?’

‘Haven’t you checked your twitter yet or the TV? Scarecrow put something in the school water reservoir. A lot of sick kids having scary hallucinations.’

‘You didn’t drink it too, did you?’ To Helena’s surprise and joy the question came from Bruce.

‘Nah, I take my own bottle to school.’ Said wisely the little girl that just in the night before had roofied her own sister.

‘Oh thank God!’ Relief washed over Selina.

‘I have to go.’

‘What? Why? Stay for lunch! Mom can’t cook’ Selina gave her a mean look, but Helena ignored ‘but we can always order Thai.’

‘Although your offer is tempting, I really have to go. Bye, Selina. Until next time, Helena.’

‘Bye…’ Answered Helena gloomy.

Selina said nothing or moved to open the door to Bruce, they just held each other gazes for a while until he turned his back and left closing the door behind him. He was almost reaching the elevators when he heard his name. It was Selina.

‘Let’s talk. Later…’

‘Where?’

‘I don’t know… Hm… The cathedral? The roof.’

‘Ok. After the sunset?’

‘Fine.’

‘Selina?’

‘What?’

‘Thank you.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope everybody is having a nice Sunday. See you soon.


	13. Philia part VIII

To his surprise, she got there early, so he was able to watch, from the shadows, the golden and pink twilight bounce from the black shiny catsuit she was wearing. Her taste had clearly not changed much in that aspect, but as much child Selina used black leather to look dangerous and bigger to keep people away, the formfitting wet looking spandex invited in like a venus flytrap. Bruce took his time just watching her, memorizing her, getting acquainted with the picture she formed now, how her face had changed over the years. His memories didn’t make justice to how clear her green eyes were, and although she still enjoyed the heavy eye makeup, it was toned down from what she would have chosen as a teenager and she paired it now with red lipstick. Her face lost the softness of youth, her jaw lines and cheekbones sharper. The curls he knew from earlier would cascade to her shoulders and back, were now pined safe on the top of her head, hidden behind her cat ears cowl. She also wore googles, like the ones she wore when he first met her, a lifetime ago, but they were pushed to the top of her forehead as she watched the night fall on Gotham all around her.

When it was dark enough for the constellations of electric lights to glow all over the city, Bruce moved. His long cape followed this movements in silence when he reached the top of the cathedral.

‘Selina.’

She jumped startled.

‘You asshole! No need to scare me like that.’

‘Thank you for coming.’

‘Yeah, don’t let me regret it. So, what you want to know?’

He wanted to know everything. He wanted to know how to undo that mess. He wanted to know how to travel back in time.

‘When did you found out?’

She sighed. Those were painful memories.

‘A few days after you left. I was sick and tired all the time. I thought it was just because I was miserable, but Barbara made me take a pregnancy test and voila. Who could imagine that horny teenagers and no condoms would result in baby?’

He didn’t say anything for a while, Selina was tapping her heel nervously.

‘And you decided to keep her…’

‘Obviously.’ She snapped.

‘Look Selina…’

‘No, you look. Do you think I didn’t think of getting an abortion? Even Lee told me to. But I wanted her. She was all I had that moment, I wasn’t losing her too. And I don’t regret it. I love my daughter. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t care about your money or anything. I don’t need any of that. Neither does Helena.’

‘Why did you ask me to meet you then?’ Why give him that chance? He didn’t say. He knew de didn’t deserve it.

‘Because no matter how I feel about it, you still are her father. I didn’t meet mine. I have no idea of who he was and why he never wanted to anything to do with me and I know she asks herself the same. So, if you want to be her father maybe you should have the chance… But only if you _really_ want it, and you have to think deep and hard about it because if you leave again and break my daughter’s heart I swear I’ll find you this time and I will make you regret it.’

He stepped forward.

‘I’ll never leave again, Selina. I promise.’

Bruce noticed her body tense, he wanted to get closer, but he stopped where he was.

‘Yeah, whatever.’

‘And I wasn’t judging you. I asked because I think it was brave of you to keep her.’

Selina said nothing just shrugged her shoulders.

‘I would like to meet with her, properly.’

‘I said you should think about it first.’ She snapped.

‘I know.’ He assured her calmly. ‘I won’t tell her yet. But I think we should try to get to know each other, don’t you agree?’

Selina took a deep controlling breath.

‘Okay. Fine.’

But then she didn’t say a thing for a while.

‘Selina?’

‘We have breakfast at the Waffle House on Robinson Park every Saturday. You can come.’

‘Thank you, I will.’

‘That is all?’

Not even a bit.

‘I missed you.’ He blurted. She closed her eyes in a pained expression. ‘In all these years… There was no one else.’

Selina let out something that was half a choke half a laugh.

‘Liar.’

She used her bullwhip to jump to another building, leaving him alone with Gotham.

When the bell rang and Helena walked out of school with Barbara Lee that afternoon instead of her mom or Holly the person waiting her was no other than Alfred.

‘Alfie!’ She shouted and run to the old man’s arms almost knocking him down.

‘Goodbye, then.’ Snorted Barbara Lee amused before meeting one of her mother’s female bodyguards.

‘Oof! Miss Helena, nice to see you too.’ Said the old man struggling to hold the child and keep standing at the same time.

She parted from the hug and put her hands on her hips.

‘Where have you been?’ Helena demanded to know.

‘I was busy visiting a friend in England. I apologise for not saying goodbye before leaving, but I couldn’t imagine the lengths you would go to see me.’

She blushed.

‘So you know…’

‘Yes, Master Bruce told me everything. I know you both already met.’

‘Already? More like finally!’

Alfred couldn’t agree more.

‘So, is your mum giving you a hard time?’

‘Not really. She made me apologise do Holly but I already planned to do that and oh, she burned my toast today, but she always does.’

Bruce got there way earlier that he should.

The waitress had served him coffee four times and asked him if he was ready to order at least seven when he tipped her a hundred dollars to not ask him anymore. After that she avoided him and looked afraid. Dressed in a three-piece suit all alone in a diner at seven a.m. she must be thinking he was with the mob of something, he kicked himself internally.

It was almost eleven when they finally entered the restaurant. Helena came first talking excitedly with a young blond woman, Holly, he thought, that came behind her, then Selina followed. Much like himself she was clearly overdressed for a the occasion in her large white designer sunglasses, black summer dress and her high heels. She was the first to see him. She took her glasses off, hooked them on the heart-shaped cleavage of her dress, and held his gaze for a fleeting moment before calling her daughters and pointing at his table.

Helena came running in his direction her pigtails swinging madly.

‘Lena! Don’t run, you might hit Kiffany. Hey Kiffany, how are you today?’

‘I’m fine, miss Holly, how is work?’

‘Same old, same old.’

‘Hi!’ Sais Helena with a big smile sitting across Bruce. ‘Mom said you’re coming. Did you wait for us for a long time? Mom took foreeeeever to get ready. I am so hungry. Have you eaten yet? What will you order?’

‘Helena, breathe.’ Said Selina sitting on the booth next to the little girl. ‘How can he answer if you ask five questions in a row? Hi. This is Holly.’

‘Hi. Nice to meet you.’

But her expression didn’t seem so pleased as she sat next to him.

‘Nice to meet you too, Holly.’

‘Girls, this is Bruce Wayne.’

‘So…’ Helena asked. ‘How did you meet each other?’

‘That is a long story.’ Said Bruce.

‘Please, I want to know!’

He looked at Selina, silently asking for permission. She rolled her eyes nonchalantly.

‘Tell them. Just keep the gory stuff out of it. I don’t wanna anybody having nightmares.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with Alfred wasn't on the scrip but I felt it was missing an explanation for his absence. I imagine Holly and Kiffany singing ‘Who’s the New Guy’ from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in this scene “Who's the new guy?/I don't trust him/He's suspiciously good-looking in ways that normal people are not” XDDD
> 
> Also Kiffany is from Dead Like Me, I show that I love so much, for some reason I wanted a Waffle House scene.
> 
> Next chapter there’s also a new guy. Well, not new, he’s technically 80 already. A cookie if you can guess whom.


	14. Philia part IX

That kind of work wasn’t her favourite, she liked stealing pretty things, but sometimes, if the offer was good enough, she did some corporate espionage too. She had refused first when offered that job, she usually didn’t know exactly who her clients were, it was all very hush hush to preserve everybody’s involvement identities, but she heard through the grapevine that it was someone working for Lexcorp and she really didn’t want to work for that bald creeper. But then they contacted her again offering a huge additional and since she wasn’t doing anything… It was also nice to have something to distract her from the mess that was her life since Bruce’s return. Selina never thought herself as a creature of routine, but boy she missed her old meek life.

So there she was, doing what she was good at and feeling amazing about it.

Until he came and ruined everything again. For heaven’s sake, was he following her? Couldn’t he just stay out of her business? It is Gotham, she is pretty sure there was a lot of crime happening elsewhere too!

‘Go away!’ She said annoyed but otherwise ignoring his dark looming shadow.

‘Do you even know who are you stealing for? What will they do with it?’

‘I don’t know, I don’t care, I just ask how much they gonna pay me.’

Ignoring him, she finished hacking the alarm she was working on. Bruce, in his ridiculous outfit, followed her.

‘That’s a great standard you’re are setting for Helena.’

Selina stopped in her tracks, turning in his direction with rage coursing through her body, her hand was on her bullwhip before she could stop herself.

‘Don’t you dare! Oh my god, you haven’t changed at all, you still think you are so much better than me, fuck you.’

‘I can’t let you do this, Selina.’ He grabbed her wrist.

Rotating her body, Catwoman freed herself and jumped kicking him on the abdomen, but Batman avoided the hit, nevertheless he had to put distance between them to do that which was the result she wanted.

‘I don’t need your fucking permission, fuck off!’

She ran and he went after her, they ended in a hallway that lead to a dead end, he tried to talk to her again, but Catwoman was having none of that, feeling cornered, she jumped again using his shoulders as support and at the same time digging her diamond sharp claws in his flash. Batman grunted with pain and reached for her again, this time grabbing her by the waist, Selina felt her back shock with his chest armour and was ready to scratch him again when they heard sounds of boots running in their direction.

‘Look what you’ve done, asshole!’

She head-butted him on the nose and used the distraction to get way from his arms and run away. Batman left the scene before being seen by the guards.

Bruce was in his office at Wayne Enterprises pretending to work when his cell phone stared to buzz.

It was Selina. He looked at the screen puzzled. He didn’t expect her to call, especially after their last encounter. Maybe she was calling to throw him a new string of insults after he ruined her plans the night before. No, she wouldn’t call for that. He felt blood drain from his body, maybe something happened to Helena?

‘Selina? What happened?’

‘Hi!’ A sweet young voice answered whispering. Bruce frowned. ‘Mr. Wayne, it’s Helena. Remember me?’

‘Yes… How can I help you, Helena?’

‘Mom said you couldn’t come this Saturday.’

She had actually sent him a very colourful text saying that she didn’t want to see his ugly face anytime soon and that he wouldn’t appear for breakfast Saturday if he knew what was good for him. Oh the woman of his dreams, the mother of his child. So mature and reasonable.

‘I’m sorry. Is everything okay? Why are you whispering?’

‘Everything is fine, I have to talk like this because I borrowed mom’s phone to call you since I’m not allowed to have one even though everyone in my class have theirs. Anyway, I have a play at school next week and Miss Jones said that I could invite anyone I wanted. Do you wanna come?’

Bruce clicked his pen, Selina would not like that. His nose was hurting like hell, he was using make up and still had to make up stories about hurting himself falling from stairs.

‘Yes. Will be a pleasure. Do I have to bring anything? What part are you playing?’

He smiled at her squeal of delight as she stared explaining to him everything.

To say that Selina was not happy was an understatement.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Helena invited me.’ He answered, dignified.

‘Are you meeting my daughter behind my back?’

‘She called me.’

‘She… That sneaky little…’

But she didn’t finish the sentence because the lights went down and the curtains opened. Selina sat beside Bruce.

‘I wonder where is Alfred’ he whispered ‘he drove me but disappeared when we arrived.’

‘He likes to record it.’ Bruce followed Selina’s gaze and found his butler in the first row with a camera shouldered by other dads and moms holding theirs. That was something he never imagined he would see again, but a buried flashback of he doing the same thing when he was a kid, before his parents died, played in his head.

A teacher appeared and explained what the play was about. It was a weird play. Aliens from the moon trying to destroy the peace on Earth or something. There was bad guy called Baddy and the hero was called Goody. Whomever wrote that was clearly good with names.

Helena played a tree that Baddy cut to show how evil he was, Helena gave such a dramatic performance of a dying tree that Bruce was very happy that Alfred was getting that on tape. But after she was offstage it was hard to pay attention to the kids instead of the woman fiddling with her hands beside him.

‘Why do you keep doing it?’ He whispered in her ear, her perfume making his slightly dizzy.

Even in the penumbra, he felt the sting of her mean glare.

‘What I do is nothing of your business.’

‘What if you get caught? What happen to Helena, then?’

‘Also nothing of your business.’

‘Not true. Everything related to Helena is my business.’

She snorted.

‘You just found out about her the other day. Don’t be flatter yourself.’

People around shushed them, Selina gave them angry looks.

‘You need to be responsible, Selina.’

‘Oh my god, will you stop? I lived my life and raised my kid for ten years without your advice I don’t need it now!’

A teacher approached them.

‘Miss Kyle, Mr. Wayne’ she blushed when she addressed Bruce, Selina wanted to puke. ‘I need you to leave, other parents are complaining.’

‘I’m very sorry Miss…?’

‘Jones, Andrea Jones.’

‘I’m sorry Andrea, can I call you that? It wasn’t our intention-‘

‘Oh, just come on!’

Selina pulled his arm and they went wait in the hallway, he looked at her hand grabbing him with an eyebrow raised, Selina let go of him like he was made of hot iron.

‘All I wanted was a nice evening with my daughter, why did you have to come ruin everything with your judging, noisiness and flirting with poor school teachers? Why don’t you just craw back from the hole you came from?’

‘Flirting? When did I-?’

‘Oh please! Don’t even try!’

‘I don’t know why you are so angry, I should be the angry one, you know you are putting her in danger, don’t you?’

‘And what you think will happen when people find about your strange little hobby? Pot, you’re black too!

‘Can you both just stop!’

‘Helena!’ Bruce and Selina called at the same time surprised with her sudden appearance, still in her tree costume.

‘What are you doing here, baby?’ Asked Selina.

‘I heard people talking about you fighting, you are embarrassing me!’ Said a very upset Helena, her little face all frowned and red.

‘I’m sorry Helena… I shouldn’t have come.’ Apologised Bruce, crouching to be at Helena’s level.

‘That’s an understatement.’ Muttered Selina bitterly.

‘No mom! Stop that. I know, alright? I know everything.’ She fisted her hands.

‘What?’ Asked Selina horrified.

‘I know you’re my dad, Mr. Wayne…’ She blurted softly.

‘How?’ Bruce whispered.

‘I kinda always did? I mean, why else would Alfie like me so much? And everybody was always talking about you behind mom’s back, how much I was like you. Then mom invited you for breakfast and just confirmed it to me.’

‘Helena…’

‘I don’t know why you left us. Why you didn’t want me back then. But now you’re back and I thought… I thought…’

Bruce fell in on knee.

‘Come here’ she hugged him, crying hard. ‘I’m sorry princess. I didn’t know. I would have never left if I did.’

Selina watched the scene before her weeping in silence, a hand over her mouth holding a sob. Bruce’s words cutting deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is a good place to end this chapter and that means my math is wrong and that the new guy will only come next.
> 
> The Baddy play is actually real, it’s from the Japanese all female Musical Theatre troupe Takarazuka.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you soon. Sunday?


	15. Philia part X

Selina watched from the counter Helena and Barbara Lee doing their science homework together. They had to draw and paint the Solar System, so they had the excuse to use a lot of glitter that Selina was sure she would be finding on Isis’s fur for weeks. Soft pop music played on Babs’ phone and the girls were talking and giggling between themselves. It would have been a nice, ordinary afternoon if wasn’t for the bits of conversation Selina was picking up all the time. My dad this, my dad that, have you seen my dad’s house? I’ll ask him if we can use the pool, we could have a party! Every time Selina heard the word “dad” her head pounded.

‘Sel? Sel? Sel, are you listening to me?’

‘WHAT is it Holly?’ And seeing Holly’s scared face Selina felt a pang of regret. ‘I’m sorry, kid. Just a headache. What is it?’

Holly eyed her with concern.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah… It’s just… She talks about him all the time.’

Holly gave Selina a compassionate smile and rubbed her arm affectionately.

‘Awwwn Sel, she’s just excited because it’s a new thing. It will worn out. Lena worships the ground you walk.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘I know so.’

‘Come here.’ She hugged Holly, smoothing her blond spiky hair. ‘I don’t know what I would do without you, Holly.’

Selina felt Holly’s body tense.

‘Well, about that…’ Freed from the hug, Holly fidgeted on her stool.

‘What is it? Don’t tell me you will elope with that cute guy from your work and leave us.’

‘Selina! No! And I’ve already told you he’s just a friend.’

Selina took a sip from her coffee giving Holly a well-knowing look to which she responded with an eye roll.

‘So… What is it, then?’

‘Remember that school I told you I was thinking about applying to?’

‘That one in Star City? I remember, but you said you’ve changed your mind…’

‘Well, I changed back, but I didn’t think they would accept my registration because it was almost past the last day so I didn’t say anything but, they accepted me!’

‘Really?! Oh Holly I’m so happy for you!’ She hugged Holly again and shouted ‘Lena! Babs! Holly is going to college!’

‘Really?’ Helena got up on her feet and ran to her family sprinkling glitter everywhere. ‘I’m so proud of you, Holly!’

‘Yeah, congrats!’ Said Babs joining the group hug too.

‘And you don’t need to worry about me I saved up, and I’ll get a loan too, I have good credit.’

‘Don’t be stupid, Holly. Of course I’ll pay you tuition.’

‘No, Selina, I’m serious. You’ve already fed me and dressed me all these years.’

Selina rolled her eyes.

‘Helena, who do you think she bribed to get in if she is this stupid?’

‘Selina!’ Protested Holly as the girls laughed.

The door opened to reveal Helena with a huge smile.

‘Hi daddy!’

‘Hi, princess, are you ready?’

Her smile turned into a grimace.

‘No…’

‘She just came out from playing downstairs.’ He heard Selina say from the couch. ‘I told her to come up sooner.’

‘Sorry daddy… I’ll get ready super fast!’ And she ran away.

‘Hi, Selina.’

‘Hey.’

He walked to where she was, a mug of coffee in one hand, shorts and a blouse that gave him plenty vision of her shoulders and cleavage. She still had a lot of freckles. Her tanned legs folded under her. Bruce sat next to her and eyed the huge book she had on her lap. It was a photo album.

‘This was from Holly’s first week with us.’ She pointed to the picture but it felt more like she was talking to herself. ‘She was so shy. Helena was driving her crazy with questions. I ran on them once, Helena was asking Holly why the refrigerator didn’t talk.’

Bruce chuckled.

‘And why is that?’

‘Because it doesn’t have a mouth.’ She turned her face to Bruce to deliver the line, a nostalgic smile on her lips, then she remembered whom she was talking to, and the smile died. ‘She was just trying to make Holly laugh.’ Selina said in a more serious voice.

Bruce sighed.

‘She is a very kind little girl.’

‘Yeah, didn’t get that from me though.’

Was that a compliment? He was very confused. Oh, well, that was his permanent status when it came to Selina Kyle.

‘That was on year after. I took them to the carnival. Helena was crying because she wasn’t tall enough to get in the ride she wanted to go. Made a whole scene. Holly gave her the candyfloss to Helena even though she had already eaten hers and a huge piece of mine. I have never regretted ignoring Lee’s speeches about sugar high so much before.’

His arm brushed hers as he moved to point to another picture.

‘What was happening here?’

Selina shivered and then laughed to cover it up.

‘I let Helena eat alone for the first time. She was about two. Got banana all over her face, her hair, I even found it in her diaper.’

‘Do you think…?’

‘What?’

‘Can I keep this one?’

Selina turned her face back to him, really looking at him. Poor, miserable man, she thought.

Then she took picture off the album and handed to him.

‘Here.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Mommy…’ Helena was back already dressed but with a towel rolled around her head and holding a comb and some hair product.

‘Yes, kitten.’

‘Can you do my hair?’

Selina handed the album to Bruce and sat back opening her legs so Helena could sit between them.

‘What do you want?’

‘A braid?’

‘But it’s wet, baby. Why don’t we just untangle your hair and put those new snap clips that auntie Lee got you?’

And mother and daughter talked between themselves Bruce felt his chest become heavy. He had lost so much. He looked at the picture of his daughter again and wondered how was to hold her when she was that little. The thrill of seeing her take her first step, say her first word. He looked a Selina and imagined her round with their child, how beautiful she must had looked then.

Selina was very uncomfortable, but she would endure for her child. And Helena was beaming with excitement. Bruce have been taking her to parties, museums, restaurants all over Gotham since she told them she knew he was her dad. But that was the first time Selina gave in to Helena’s supplications to go with them. ‘Come mommy! There will be big cats!’ And she said she was going only for the big cats, but Helena knew better.

A circus. Like they didn’t have enough problems with freaks in costumes and clowns in that city already.

She dressed in her best slutty mom dress, pretended to not notice Bruce’s stolen looks because that was all he was ever getting, made him buy the most expensive option of popcorn available, helped Helena clean her face after she got chocolate syrup from her funnel cake all over her, how could have raised such a messy kid? And tried to ignore Bruce’s lame jokes. God, he was trying so damn hard.

She had to admit they were having a good time, until it happened. They were called the Flying Graysons, a family of acrobats. Mom, dad and son. He was a small kid, just a little older than Helena. In the end of their show, dad was upside down being held by his feet on the trapeze, mom jumped in a somersault, he grabbed her ankles, they both with huge smiles, the audience in complete awe, the kid should go next, but the ropes gave in and the couple fell to their deaths.

The whole crowd screamed, Bruce stoop up, his popcorn falling form his lap to the ground, Selina held Helena against her chest, hiding her face but it was too late, she could feel her daughter sobbing. She looked up to Bruce in terror.

‘Let’s get out of here.’ He said in a tight voice.

She nodded. She wanted to pick Helena up but she was so heavy, Bruce did it and Selina followed as he opened the path among the horrified and confused people.

They reached the car without saying anything. Helena was still crying and when Selina got a glimpse of herself in the rear-view mirror she noticed that there were black mascara stains treading down her own cheeks too. 

Bruce sat in the driver’s sit but didn’t start the car.

‘I need to go back there.’

‘Why?’ Selina asked confused, Helena just looked from one parent to another, holding her mother tight.

‘The boy… I can’t just let him like that.’

‘What boy?’ Asked Helena in a soft voice.

Bruce looked at Helena and gave her a sad half-smile, then patted her head softly.

‘I’m sorry you had to see that, princess.’ Then he turned to look at Selina. ‘Can you drive home?’

‘What? Why daddy?!’

‘Yes.’ Selina breathed holding his gaze firmly, understanding. ‘Go.’

‘Thank you.’

And he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep! Dickie is in this story too. Bruce can be an orphan hoarder disaster without hoarding some orphans.
> 
> We will have just one more chapter in Philia (edit: lol nope), and then we’ll reach the final arc, Storge, which is a lot smaller than Philia. I actually didn’t expect Philia to be so long, but I had a lot to tell.
> 
> I hope you are still enjoying this story and that you will be with me till the end. See you next time.


	16. Philia part XI

Bruce didn’t visit the next day, he called twice though, an hour after Helena came back from school and around her bedtime. Yet, Selina knew her daughter was pretty affected by her father’s absence in such a fragile moment. But if on one hand she was angry in regards of her daughter on the other she also could stop the warm feelings when Bruce explained what was keeping him away.

‘His name is Dick, he is just twelve. Like me when…’ He said over the phone so Selina after talking to Helena.

‘Yeah… I know. But _Dick_? Really?’

‘He said that’s how everybody called him at the circus.’

‘Circus people _are_ weird.’

‘Selina…’

‘Sorry. So, what you’re going to do?’

‘I’m applying for foster care.’

‘What? Can you do that?’

‘I’m trying… Called my lawyers from Metropolis. And Gordon is helping me too. I wanted to bring him home last night but they took him to the hospital, said he was in shock.’

‘Poor thing.’

‘Yeah… Selina, do you think I’m crazy for doing this? I have no experience with kids, it has only been a few weeks with Helena. But I just couldn’t let him there.’

‘Oh I think you’re crazy. But I also think that boy needs all the help you can give.’

‘Thank you.’

Helena didn’t take the news as nicely when Bruce came to tell her, but she tried really hard to not show it, it made Selina’s heart fill with pride, but also break a little. When Bruce left, Helena locked herself inside her room to cry, and Selina wanted to go in and comfort her daughter but she also knew that it would only make things worse, all her efforts to look tough would be void if Selina just mothered her.

Helena had the chance to meet Dick a week after the circus. Bruce came to take her to spend the Sunday at the Mansion, and although she put up a huge smile, Selina had a tight chest when she saw her daughter wave goodbye before entering Bruce’s black sedan.

‘Dick, this is my daughter, Helena.’

Although he was two years senior, he was only one inch taller than Helena. He had curly dark hair and his skin was a warm caramel, when he smiled to her and offered his hand to shake, dimples appeared in his cheeks. Like Helena’s father’s his blue eyes were sad. But unlike her father who was a very quiet person and most of the time was happy to just listen Helena talk about whatever she wanted as long as she wanted, offering a comment or so to explain something and show he was paying attention, Dick liked to talk. He told her about the circus, the people that worked in there, the routines he used to participate, he talked a lot about acrobatics and used terms Helena never heard before, he also told her he used to have a pet elephant but she didn’t believe in him.

Helena wanted to like him instantly, she really did, but it was hard to ignore the knot in her throat when she saw that he was finishing the puzzle she and her father had brought on their last trip to the mall.

‘I’m bad, Alfie, I’m really bad.’

‘What is this nonsense you are talking about, Miss Helena?’ Askes Alfred without turning himself to look at her he was washing dishes.

‘Dick just lost his mom and dad, saw them dying and I’m jealous of him because he gets to live here and see dad everyday.’

Alfred didn’t say a thing for a while, and Helena felt even worse, his silence an agreement, an acknowledgement of all the horrible things she was thinking about herself. She wept, putting her hand on her mouth to suffocate her sobs. If even her Alfie believed she was bad, she surely was. Helena jumped when the oven timer bell ringed. Alfred pulled a tray of chocolate and almond cookies, her favourite, and put it on the marble counter top too cool.

Then he took off his gloves, hanged his apron and sat on the stool next to her, and handed her his handkerchief. Helena cleaned her face and blew her nose, but she was still crying.

‘Miss Helena, I have no idea of how you got to this ludicrous idea that you are bad. Being jealous when you only had your father for a few weeks is natural, it would be awfully surprising if you did not feel that way.’

‘Really?’

‘Really. Felling guilty about it just prove that you are not bad at all. You are a wonderful young lady, I have never met anyone better.’

‘Oh Alfie!’ She threw her arms around him. Alfred patted her head awkwardly.

‘Helena? Won’t you help us with the puzzle?’ Bruce frowned when he saw his daughter attached to his butler. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Master Bruce. Everything is perfectly fine, tickety-boo. Miss Helena just told about a sad movie she watched with her mum, I keep telling Miss Kyle to watch films that are more light-headed. Go wash your face, Miss. A lady should always be put together.’

‘Okay.’ She said sniffling.

‘Then go to the study, the biscuits will be cooler, and we all can have proper tea.’

He gave her a last pat on the head and Helena left, hiding her face from her father.

‘Sad movie?’ Asked Bruce sceptical when Helena was out of hearing range.

‘Hey princess.’ Said Bruce entering his daughter’s room. It wasn’t previously planned but he called Selina and she agreed to let Helena spend the night if Bruce took her to school in time the next day.

‘Hi daddy.’ Her eyes were still a little puffy but she was wearing her trademark smile. She was already tucked in bed, Bruce closed the door behind him. Helena’s room in the Wayne Mansion was bigger than her little purple room at her mother’s flat, but it had a lot less of personality. It was clear that Alfred decorated the room himself. Instead of Disney movie posters and drawings taped to the walls, there was a watercolour painting of an English garden. And instead of plastic toys there was stuffed animals and ancient looking porcelain dolls. Those were kind of creepy. Bruce would have to make something about them.

Bruce sat on the edge of Helena’s four-poster bed that looked ridiculously enormous around her tiny body.

‘Alfred told me the reason why you were crying earlier. The real one.’

‘Oh…’ Her lower lip started to quiver.

‘Helena… I could never think you’re bad. Never. Got it?’

She sniffled.

‘Got it.’

‘Good. And Dick is not here to replace you. You are my daughter. Nothing in the world can change that. But I understand why you felt that way, and think I should tell you something too… About me… And why I left.’

She said nothing, but nodded.

‘When I was Dick’s age, I also saw my parents die. Did you know that?’

‘Yeah. Everybody heard about the Wayne’s murder.’ Bruce winced at how trivial it sounded, like people have been gossiping about his personal tragedy for so many years it became popular couture. ‘But when I first heard it I didn’t know you were my dad yet.’

‘Okay… I won’t tell you exactly how it happened, only that it was very traumatic and changed me forever. But I was also very lucky, because even if I didn’t have my parents I still had Alfred, and then I met your uncle Jim, and your mother. They became like family to me.’ He made a small pause. ‘Dick didn’t have anyone else.’

‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘I hope we can help him, like Alfie, uncle Jim and mom helped you.’

He patted her hair with affection.

‘I also hope so, princess.’

‘But you said you’d tell why did leave too, daddy.’

‘Well, that. The death of my parents and the Wayne name put me in a vulnerable position, and people started to try to hurt me and the people around me. Have Alfred told you that this is not the original Wayne Mansion?’

‘What?’

‘Yes. The original one that I grew up in was destroyed by those evil people. Alfred almost died that day. Your mother too.’

‘Mom?’ Asked her with huge eyes, Bruce supressed the information that she also almost died before she could even be born that night. When he thought about that he felt pure terror.

‘Yes. And that scared me. So much. I left to try to find a way to keep her, Alfred and everyone else safe.’

‘And have you?’

‘I think so.’

Helena sighed again.

‘Your mother also only found out she was having you after I left, and as she had no way to contact me she couldn’t tell me either. I didn’t left because I didn’t want you, Helena.’

‘I’m glad you’re here now, daddy.’

‘Me too, princess.’

That made the cloud of melancholy that was hanging over her otherwise sunny nature lift and Bruce felt relieved at the change.

‘What is that you’re holding?’

‘It was my favourite book, my mother used to read to me in bed. But maybe you’re too old…’

She grabbed his hand quite urgently.

‘I want you to read to me, please.’

He gave her a small smile.

‘This book is the first of a series. It’s called Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar.’

‘Burglar? Like a thief?’

‘Yes, like a thief. And even though it doesn’t make stealing any less wrong, but he only stole from rich people.’

‘Ohhh like Catwoman!’

Bruce made a suspicious face.

‘What do you know about Catwoman, Helena?’

‘She is super cool, nobody can catch her!’ And she smiled.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, but she just fanned her eyelashes at him innocently.

He cracked the book open and started to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you expected, Bruce dear? XD I know! I know! I still didn’t make Helena and Dick interact properly, but I promise they will in the next chapter. Actually, the children took control of the next chapter and I have no idea of how put the other stuff that should be there too.
> 
> Wash your hands, sleep well, eat your veggies. I see you on Thursday!


	17. Philia part XII

Helena blew all ten of her birthday candles as camera flashes showered her with light and the clicks captured the moment forever.

They were having a small privet party, only the Wayne household, Selina, the Gordons, Barbara, Harvey and Lucius Fox with his six years old son, Luke. Holly had already left for college but she facetimed Helena in the morning.

‘Congratulations, kitten, what did you wish for?’

‘Can’t say mommy, won’t come true if I do.’ But she and Dick exchanged a look, Bruce followed the small interaction with suspicion.

Turns out that after the first odd days Helena and Dick got on like a house on fire and Bruce feared that the house in question would be his.

Although the trauma was so similar, Dick couldn’t handle it more differently than Bruce at the same age. On the first days, before Bruce decided that he wanted to conquer fear, he slept and slept and slept always dreaming that reality was a mistake, or that his parents had to forge their own deaths for some reason, but they were back and everything would be fine. Dick didn’t spend a single day like that. He woke up early, almost as early as Alfred, and he would try to make himself useful, helping on the kitchen even though Alfred continually telling him that there was no need. He smiled a lot, cracked silly jokes and showed off his acrobatic skills so much that he broke several pieces of décor until Bruce decide to take the boy to the Manor’s Gym before Alfred lost his patience.

Bruce was more concerned about this behaviour than if he cried all day, but he couldn’t see what to do. He told Alfred his worries but the butler just said the boy would eventually be okay and Bruce trusted him. And then he enrolled Dick in the same school Helena went, he was two grades above her but they might have been seeing each other everyday on recess because Dick was always back with stories about her and Barbara Lee. But Bruce only was able to measure how things were going between them when Helena was at the Manor and Dick and her started a prank contest.

‘If you keep falling for the children’s pranks how can you possible anticipate you enemies moves, Master Bruce?’

Bruce didn’t respond to that, just gave the smug butler a nasty look. They never pranked _him_.

‘What’s the score?’ Asked Barbara Lee, the cake was served but she was chewing her favourite bubble gum, every now and then she would make a huge bubble and Dick was wondered how it didn’t stick to her hair or glasses.

‘Ten to Eleven, I’m winning.’ Said Dick with a cocky grin.

‘Not true! I told you that last point wasn’t valid because I was not here.’

‘I can’t keep waiting for you to come! What am I supposed to do in the meantime? This house is so booooooring.’

‘Awwwn boohoo. Poor Dickie is bored in his huge mansion.’ Said Barbara Lee tormenting him, she did that a lot.

‘Don’t call me that!’

And it wasn’t just the pranks, they made everything a competition. Even eating and dressing themselves. Alfred was always begging them to do things slowly and properly, but they just became a little better when Alfred was self-appointed the referee. For everything they had to do twice because the first one was made in such a haste that they made a poor job, two points was lost. The problem was that it was also valid for the pranks, that made their work become more meticulous and deadly.

Sometimes they would also cooperate instead of compete, but Bruce didn’t know if that was better because he once was surprised to find Dick and Helena hanging on the ballroom’s chandelier as he was teaching her to do somersaults. But it wasn’t as terrifying as walking into a blindfolded Helena trying to hit an apple on Dick’s head with a crossbow. Even though it wasn’t horned arrows she could have hit an eye or something. He learned later that was Dick’s idea of a bet and Helena accepted, Bruce gave them a massive scold for not knowing any better.

‘Gather around’ Commanded Babs. ‘I have a present for you, Lena.’

‘You already gave me a present.’ Said Helena confused, but she joined Dick getting close to Babs anyway.

‘Not that. That was my mom’s present. This is just from me. Well, not quite.’ She picked an old photo from her pocket, and showed to the other two.

‘That’s mom!’ Exclaimed Helena excited.

‘And the short boy is your dad.’ Informed Babs.

‘Boy, he _was_ short! How come he’s so tall now?’ Said Dick hugely impressed.

‘See, Dickie, you have hope.’ Helena said in her sweetest voice.

‘Shut up, Lena.’ He softly elbowed her, Helena avoided him and giggled taking the photo to exam it properly. Her mother was a little older than she was in the picture. She was wearing a satin party dress, it was a light beige and had beautiful black embroidery. Her dad’s hair was parted on the side in a very old-fashioned way, he was a little inch or so smaller than her mom, Helena looked up from the photo and over her friend’s head finding her parents chatting with Mr. Fox, even in high heels her father towered above her mom now.

‘How did you find this?’

‘I was helping my mother to move some old stuff, found pictures of this party and you parents. I asked her about it. She gushed about how cute your parents were together. Mom was the one who took her shopping and to the hairdresser to dress auntie Sel like that.’

‘What? Your mother was already a grownup when Helena’s mom was a kid? How old are you mother? Is she a fairy?’

Helena and Babs burst into laughter.

‘No silly, _my_ mom got pregnant with me in her teens.’

They could visualize Dick’s mind exploding.

‘How old is Bruce?’

‘I don’t know? I think twenty something.’

‘TWENTY? Like, college kid twenty? I thought he was a _lot_ older than that.’

‘Who you’re calling old, chum?’ Asked Bruce approaching to see what the kids were doing glued heads to each other, in his experience, never a good sign.

‘B!’ He messed up Dick’s hair and bowed a bit to look at what Helena was holding.

‘What is that you have there, princess?’

‘Look, daddy. It’s you and mom.’

Helena’s heart jumped when her father’s face morphed in a rare full smile when he saw the picture.

‘Oh… This was ages ago. How did you find this?’

‘My mom had it.’ Said Babs making a bubble and popping it.

‘It was Selina’s first gala, she was beautiful...’ His eyebrows rise to the top of his forehead. ‘I was short.’

The kids exchanged looks and laughed.

‘How’s life as a single father of two?’ Asked Selina sitting next to Bruce on the bar. She was clearly tipsy, Bruce gave her a half-amused, half-surprised look, deeply puzzled by her sudden civility. They had silently agreed to be nicer at least in front of Helena, and they had small chats when Bruce called Helena or when he visited, but the topic of conversation was their kid only.

‘Who are you? A pap? Vicky Vale?’

‘Pfff You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

‘I have no idea of what you are talking about,’ said him completely aware of the rumours about him and the young reporter. ‘And answering your question, it has been terrifying.’

‘Really?’ She asked sceptical.

‘Why the surprise?’

‘Because you seem to make it effortless. Do you know how completely infuriating is to watch you just waltz into fatherhood with Helena when I’ve been breaking my back for ten years?’

‘What? Selina are you crazy? I’m so scared all the time I’ll do something or say something and ruin all your work, and she will never want to see me again. Our daughter… I have no words. I have never met a child like her. I’m afraid every day she will decide that she was better off without me in her life.’

Selina rolled her eyes.

‘How can someone be a genius and still completely stupid? Helena _adores_ you. Sometimes it makes me sick at the stomach just how she lights up when the phone rings and she thinks it might be you.’ Selina ignored Bruce’s pleased expression. ‘But how are things with little Ricky?’

‘Do not call him that… He gets really angry.’ He pleaded.

‘But _Dick_ is fine?’

‘Let it go, Selina.’

‘Circus freaks. Call a kid that.’

‘Anyway… He’s fine, I guess. He is nothing like I was in that age. Remember? Scared at my shadow, feeling sorry for myself.’

Selina smiled fondly.

‘I remember of you asking me to teach you do dangerous stuff.’

‘Alfred hated your guts for teaching me.’ Said Bruce reciprocating her act with a little smile of himself.

‘We’re even now. Since I gave him a grandchild he has been so much nicer, should have done that earlier.’

‘Yeah? How would do that?’ He decided he liked tipsy Selina very much.

‘The regular way. Get you drunk and have my wicked way with ya.’

Bruce closed his eyes in silent laughter.

‘That’s sexual assault.’ Informed him amused.

‘Pfff. I remember billionaire brat Brucie. He was eeeeeeeeeasy.’ She said the last word crunching her whole face for emphasis.

‘I am not easy, Selina. How dare you.’ He said in mock-offense and bumped her on her on the side. Then he sobered up a little before continuing in a more serious tone. ‘But as we’re saying, Dick is doing a lot better than I did back in the day. He has some fits of anger sometimes, and nightmares, but not every night. I’m not good at talking about it with him. But his social agent appointed one counsellor and he seems to like her.’

‘A Wayne doing therapy?’ She looked honestly surprised. ‘My, times change!’

‘Not Wayne yet.’

‘So you _are_ thinking about adopting?’

‘If he wants, eventually.’ He looked down to his drink, the amber liquid swirling slowly. ‘I don’t want him to think that I’m trying to replace his parents.’

‘Did you think Alfred was trying to replace yours?’

‘It was different. Alfred was already kind of my parent before. When I was five I was really surprised to find out that not everyone had a mom, a dad _and_ a butler.’

‘What?’ Selina dropped her head on her crossed arms over the bar counter and laughed her shoulders shaking.

‘That’s why I never told you that before.’

‘Ohmigosh Bruce’ She said between fits of laughter. ‘You can’t be real, you just can’t.’

Bruce’s humiliation session was interrupted by Helena and Dick.

‘What did you say that was so funny, daddy?’ The girl asked as she climbed over Bruce’s lap.

‘I didn’t even know B was capable of making jokes.’ Said Dick cheekily.

‘Hey, watch it!’

Selina lifted her head to look at the little boy, she had tears of laughter in her eyes.

‘Kid, I like you. And you’re right he can’t, I was laughing of him not at him.’

‘Mommy, that’s not nice.’

‘I’m not nice, kitten.’

‘You’re nice to me.’

‘That’s because you’re a very special kitten.’ She booped Helena’s nose.

‘You’re nice to Dick too.’

‘That’s because I’ve heard he gives Bruce and Jeeves hell and that earned my respect.’ She winked at Dick. ‘Also you have some sick moves, kid.’

‘Thanks, Miss.’ He said blushing.

‘I mean it, Helena showed me the videos, that triple somersault was very impressive.’

‘Lena told me you can do a lot of cool moves too. ’

‘Well, I’m not a pro like you, I had sort of an unorthodox training, and what I do is closer to parkour than acrobatics.’

‘Ohhh I always wanted to try that! Can you show me some moves later?’

‘I can show you now!’ She jumped to a standing position drunk the rest of what was in her cup and was ready to go, when she felt Bruce pulling her arm, she wobbled almost falling and crushing Helena comically.

‘Maybe some other time, chum.’

‘Why? I’m not drunk, Bruce!’

‘Famous last words.’

Selina argued back, Dick and Helena just exchanged an amused look and watched them very entertained. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter just didn’t want to end I’m forcing it. And I took a really large chunk of it and dumped in the next one believe or not. So you have, all the interactions I was owing you. I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time!


	18. Philia part XIII

‘Ok, we need to do something about your parents.’ Said Dick making a highly unnecessary handstand next to the girls as they were sitting on the grass having lunch on recess.

‘What you mean?’ Asked Helena wondering why couldn’t he just sit and eat like a human person.

‘I mean you mother is the coolest, the other day she showed me how to do a Thomas Salto, that is banned in Olympic competitions! And you dad got it hard.’

‘Do you think so? I mean about my dad, I know my mom is cool.’

‘Yes! Trust me I know these things.’

Babs wasn’t very convinced.

‘How can _you_ be so sure?’

‘Oh please, see how they look at each other!’ He said with a superior air. Barbara Lee snorted.

‘Ohmigosh! Really? You see it too? I thought I was just wishing really hard!’

‘Lena…’ Babs started with caution. ‘Dick barely know your parents and since you are a relationship expert?’

The almost-siblings completely ignored Barbara Lee.

‘And when they get married you can live with us, and it will be easier to decide once for all who is the truly prankster master!’

Babs blinked in disbelief.

‘You want Helena’s parents to get married because of your prank competition? I’m at loss with words.’

‘Oh, but it would be so nice!’ Exclaimed Helena looking terribly like an excited Disney character of the Golden Age.

‘Are you sure you’re not really blood related? Your madness resemble each other so well, it’s uncanny.’

They continued ignoring her.

‘What should we do?’

‘I don’t know, I’m not good planning things, I’m a man of action!’

They both looked at Babs.

‘What?’

‘You are an evil genius, Babs.’ Said Helena, her huge green eyes glistening. ‘You can help.’

‘I am no such thing!’

‘Please…You gave me the idea to drug Holly.’

‘I said that joking! I had no idea you’d actually do it!’

‘Help me Babs, help me, I’ll owe you forever!’ Pleaded Helena dramatically.

Barbara Lee sighed defeated.

‘Fine. I’ll think of something.’

‘I have never heard a worse idea and I raised your father. I should know.’

‘Come on, Alfie! Help us!’

‘You’re always saying that B should get his life together, what better way than that?’

‘In my experience? Plenty others. If I learnt something all those years was to never try to meddle with your parents’ relationship, Miss Helena. And you Master Richard should stay away from other people’s business. It’s unbecoming.’

‘Awwn…’ Helena pouted, doing her kitty eyes to Alfred. ‘Can you at least tell us about how they used to be when they were together?’

‘I do not believe it would do you any good, Miss.’

‘Please, Alfie…’

‘Alright. But only one of such stories. Master Bruce and Miss Kyle had their first date here in this kitchen… Well, not in this kitchen but the one we had in the old house. He asked me to teach him how to make a whole meal from scratch to impress her. I thought he would make a huge mess, but we find out your father is a natural cook. He even baked a chocolate cake.’

‘B can cook? I don’t believe it!’ Said Dick trying to do steal a scone from the plate where they were cooling and giving up when Alfred gave him a nasty look.

‘When Miss Kyle got here it was almost morning and Master Bruce was heartbroken.’

‘Noooo!’ Cried Helena deeply invested in the story.

‘They made up, I reckon. They had their date, when she finally appeared, and all was well.’

‘A happy ending!’

‘Indeed, Miss.’

‘What happened after?’ Asked Dick.

‘I promised you just one story. Now, off you go the both of you. I have chores to do.’

It took them two weeks to plot the perfect plan. And a lot of Barbara Lee’s mothers’ help.

Barbara Lee who happened to be very good at computers and everything electronic helped Helena to hack Alfred’s cell phone – that she “borrowed” for a while – to learn his schedule. Dick provided distraction during the operation breaking something which was not very suspicious because he was always breaking something. Then, Babs had to convince Lee to invite Alfred, Lucius and Bruce to a dinner party at her dad’s and that had to happen in one of the days Bruce got to be with Helena, so he would have to decline. But then, Lee would have to tell Selina about the dinner party, and be very sorry about Bruce not coming, and the after the men arrived Babs was supposed to borrow, Helena style, Alfred’s phone and send a message to Selina asking her to babysit so Bruce could go to the dinner party too. And she accepted because one week before Barbara senior called Selina faking an emotional breakdown and Selina asked Bruce to take Helena even though it was not one of his nights to stay with the child. Meanwhile, Lee called Bruce and told him that the dinner party was cancelled because she was not feeling very well, but that would not be truth at all. Butlerless and at home with a very hungry Dick that begged for proof that he could really cook as Alfred had told him he could, Bruce was conned into making a full diner with chocolate cake as desert. By the time the food was ready, Selina and Helena arrived.

Bruce was finishing icing the cake when Dick announced Helena’s and Selina’s arrival.

‘Goodnight.’ Greeted Bruce with a confused face. He was still wearing his apron, detail that Selina didn’t miss by her amused expression.

‘You’re free to go. Alfred asked me to take care of them tonight. You could’ve asked yourself, you know?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘The dinner at Gordon’s?’

‘But Lee said it was cancelled.’

Selina e Bruce exchanged confused and suspicious looks.

‘What Jeeves is trying to pull at?’ Then Selina turned to the kids. ‘Do you know anything?’ Dick went beet read, but Helena just smiled and gave her “I am not guilty at all mommy” face that just meant the complete opposite of that.

Selina took a deep breath.

‘Let’s go back, Helena.’

‘No mommy, no please! Let’s stay just a bit at least. Since we made all way to here.’

‘By all means, stay.’ Offered Bruce. ‘You can have dinner with us. I’ve made cake.’

‘Well, if there is cake…’ Said Selina dramatically.

Dick and Helena shared a grin.

‘And Dick promised me to show his new computer game, didn’t you, Dick?’

‘Oh y-yeah.’ Helena gave him a mortified look, that boy had to learn to lie better. ‘Let’s go, Lena.’

‘Hey, what about dinner?’

‘Well be back soon, daddy!’

And the children run away giggling.

Selina sat at the table.

‘Do you think it’s happening what I think it’s happening?’

Still icing the cake, Bruce lift his gaze to her and gave Selina a tiny smile.

‘Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’ He quoted.

‘Well, the kids pulling at a “Parent Trap” on us is far from impossible.’

‘Parent Trap?’

‘Famous Disney movie?’

‘Didn’t watch a lot of them growing up.’

‘No… You were reading giant books written by depressed Russians or something.’

He gave her an amused look, Selina poured herself a glass of water to drown the stupid insects in her stomach.

‘Didn’t expect you to be a Disney fan either.’

‘Well, I never cared about Disney when I was a kid because… You know. But then I had kid. You have no idea of how many times Helena made me watch Lilo and Stitch. And you know what it’s worse? I think it’s damn good movie.’

‘So that’s what you did all these year, catch up with kid’s classics?’ His hair was falling in his eyes as he leaned forward to work on the cake, it was one of the rare days in which he didn’t put any product in it, letting the soft curls fall freely, it made her think of when he was a child when they first met.

‘Among other things, raising a kid isn’t just movie nights and cute social media photos, but I think you’ve already found that out. The real mystery is what have _you_ been doing all this time?’

Satisfied with his work, Bruce went to the sink to wash his hands, then he took off the apron and folded it, Selina looked away when the memories of one night in which he drove her crazy by insisting in folding each piece of clothing removed from her filled her thoughts. Bruce sat across the table and rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a peaceful expression that she couldn’t unveil.

‘Do you really want to know?’

‘If as asked… But you don’t have to tell me if you don’t.’

‘No… It’s fine. In the beginning I just wanted to not be Bruce Wayne anymore. Here in Gotham I could never do this, remember when we lived in the streets? All I needed was to call Alfred and nothing changed. In the streets people were less cruel to me because they knew who I was, _you_ knew who I was and you protected me. I had to learn how was to live without that safety net and I did that for a while, so I went to eastern Europe, to a country that spoke I language I didn’t even know. I worked odd jobs, slept in the streets. Those were the hardest years, I wanted to come back so hard, but I didn’t. It couldn’t be all for nothing. I fell ill a few times, almost died, but eventually I learned to survive, that part of my research was done. Then started my training, I went to Asia for that, cliché I know, but effective...’ Then he looked at the clock on the wall. ‘Where are Helena and Dick? Food is getting cold.’

Selina came out from her trance.

‘Oh, yes, the children.’ She turned to look at the hallway. ‘I don’t think they’re coming.’ Selina said nonchalant.

‘Hm?’

‘They are doing the parent trap thing, Bruce.’

‘But Dick didn’t have dinner. Did you and Helena?’

‘Nope.’

‘Won’t they be hungry?’

‘Serve them right for tricking us. Now, _I’m_ famished. Pass me that potato salad, it looks good.’

‘We should spy on them.’ Said Dick using his whole body to make his character on the screen jump from an obstacle to another. Helena found it funny, and told him dozen of times that he didn’t need to do that, just press the button, but it was for no avail. Now she just made fun of him.

‘They will see us.’

‘Not if we be very careful.’

‘You don’t know how to be careful, Dick.’

‘How dare you!’ His character died.

‘You know it’s truth.’

‘No, it isn’t!’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘It isn’t!’ She paused the game.

‘It is. Give me your phone.’

‘For what?’

‘Cause I still don’t have one.’

He handed it to her.

‘Hey Babs.’ Greeted Helena facetiming her best friend.

‘Hey, how is the plan going?’ Barbara Lee was out of her usual ponytail and glasses to fancier glasses and curled hair, her party look.

‘Smooth like Alfie’s bald spot. And the dinner party?’

Babs rolled her eyes.

‘They are annoying. They are all drunk and recalling the long lost past. I’m super bored. I might try to hack the CIA again or something.’

‘Sorry to hear that Babs, but when they eventually fall asleep you can draw funny faces and then take pictures to use for leverage.’

‘I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Kyle.’

The girls giggled.

‘But I called you so we could have a third opinion.’

‘On what?’

‘Dickie here-‘

‘Don’t call me that!’

‘He want us to go downstairs to spy on mom and dad. I told him it’s a bad idea because he can’t keep quiet-‘

‘That’s true, he can’t.’

Helena burst into laughter.

‘Hey! Give my phone back!’ Helena ran still cackling madly as he chased her around the room.

‘What? What is happening?’ Asked Barbara confused by the sudden change.

‘I called to ask you’ Helena struggled to say ‘if you think he knows how to be careful and you didn’t even wait until I asked-‘

Dick finally snatched the phone and ended the call. His face flaming hot. He had a little crush on Babs.

‘That was rude.’ Helena said trying to catch her breath back. The two of them lying on the huge bed with their arms and legs apart like two very red starfishes. ‘I’m hungry.’

‘Me too.’

‘Do you have any snacks hidden?’

‘No… Alfred found my stash.’

‘Bummer.’

‘We didn’t think this through, did we?’

The plates were empty, they were on their second wine bottle and they didn’t try to kill each other not even once. Who could have thought it was possible?

‘You really outdone yourself, kid. I thought that tin can meal was your top, but this, this was amazing. It tasted just like when we were kids, even the scraped burnt parts… Or maybe I was really cheap back then.’

‘Thank you.’ He said with a chuckle. Then he studied her for a while as Selina liked the icing from her fork. ‘Selina, please I don’t want to offend you…’

‘Then don’t try to offend me?’

‘Please? I need to ask you something.’

Selina sighed and drank the rest of the wine in her cup. Here it comes…

‘Why do you do it? Really? I don’t understand. You have a nice thing going on with the gallery and the charity organization. Why are you still a criminal?’

She refilled her cup, swinging the expensive red liquid as she thought. Bruce patiently waited for her answer.

‘It’s the only thing I’m really good at.’

‘That’s not true, look at Helena.’

She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

‘I had a lot of help with Helena. I’m not telling you it was easy. It _really_ wasn’t. When you left, I thought I was all alone, but that was far from the truth. Not just because of the baby, but because of the people around me, people I just came to know because of you… Alfred wanted to be part of Helena’s life so hard that he put up with me all these years no matter how hard I pushed him away. Lee tried to give me one out and supported my choice when I decided to keep the baby. Barbara… Oh Barbara. She and Tabitha were the closest thing I ever had of having a real mother. And she is really good with Babs, you have no idea… Catwoman… is different. She is something I made all on my own. It might be selfish, but hey, not all of us want to risk our lives to solve all the world’s problems.’

‘I think you don’t have to be a criminal to be proud of yourself. Even if you had all the help in the world it wouldn’t change all you’ve accomplished. You are not even thirty yet and you have a kid in college, a career, and Helena wouldn’t be the bright child she is without you.’

Despite his soft words she gave him a pain filled expression.

‘I was so afraid I’d screw her up like my mother did to me.’

‘You would never do that.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘I know you.’

Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was because how the air coming from the garden was sweetened with the honeysuckles in bloom, maybe it was how he was looking at her and how the familiarity of the situation was more intoxicating than all of that together. But Selina pushed herself from the table, walked around it, sat on Bruce’s lap. She held a hand to his face, feeling the texture of his skin. It was a lot rougher than she remembered. Her lover used to be far too much of a boy. He was gone before she could say goodbye and she would always resent that. She traced his lower lip with her thumb. Bruce closed his eyes, his breath hitched.

Selina kissed him. And it was like the first sunny day after a lifetime of a never-ending rain of salty tears. Bruce opened his eyes and faced hers closed, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, all her too many freckles. Slowly as if he moved too fast or too much reality would dissolve, Bruce lift his hands to her hips, she was warm and he could feel it even through the fabric of her pants. She parted her lips deepening the kiss, he closed his eyes again, holding her tighter. Her hand slid to his hair, he could feel her nails on his scalp, her move was followed by goosebumps all over his body. The kiss became more urgent as they knew it was reaching its end. Bruce’s hands slid from her hips to her waist, accidentally pushing the fabric of her shirt upwards and when he met skin it was so cathartic that Selina gasped for air ending the kiss prematurely. Her eyes was still closed, lids trembling when he opened his. He didn’t want to let go, and felt a wave of relief when she dipped her head, letting it rest against his, foreheads touching.

‘This also taste the same.’ She took a deep breath. Opened her eyes, so clear, so green, so sad. ‘Thank you for the meal, kid.’

And she left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. The ending of Philia. Boy, it was so much longer than I thought that it would be lmao.  
> I have never written anything as convoluted as the kids’ plan and I once wrote a Naruto fanfic that was a retelling of Arabian Nights but with evil magic creatures, period setting and sageuk drama tropes hahahaha. It probably doesn’t even make sense, but I don’t care. So you have it. The first BatCat kiss after a whole decade.   
> Next, this story will be a lot more focused in romance than the kids, but they still will cause trouble. The original plan was to wrap it up by chapter 20, but I was really unsatisfied with the ending I came up with. So, we’ll have a little more time to develop BatCat a little better, which means more work for me… (insert sad Naruto song) JK I love writing this story, I was actually super bummed that the ending was so close.   
> Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. See you soon.


	19. Storge part I

> _(storge)_
> 
> _I love you_   
>  _when I am weary_   
>  _of watching you love others._   
>  _for you_   
>  _I will keep these tired eyes open._
> 
> _— one, two, three, four - a.j. (via[ibuzoo](https://ibuzoo.tumblr.com/tagged/mine))_

He got there late. It was a bit disappointing, really. And she understood that between stopping a crime in which people were actually in danger and preventing her from stealing expensive stuff from rich people the Batman had to have his priorities straight. But he still came, so it was worth it.

‘Put it back.’

‘Nah.’

‘Cat…’

‘What?’

‘I don’t want to fight you.’

‘Fight me? Oh darling. You’d have to catch me first for that.’ Eyes locked to his, Selina slipped the jewel she stole in her cleavage.

And… Was that a smile? A small one but still a smile? He was always so ridiculous serious when he put that suit, she always thought it was to make it up for the stupid parts of his costume, which was all the entirety of it. IT HAD BAT EARS, AND A SCALOPED RIMMED CAPE LIKE A CHILD’S DRACULA COSTUME!

Batman flung himself into her and Catwoman let an excited yelp escape before running away. Her heart racing madly, Selina jumped from rooftop to rooftop glancing behind and to find him almost reaching her but never quite close enough. Her legs were starting to give in and it didn’t make any sense because she was used to run over rooftops for so much longer than that, but she didn’t stop, kept going, the idea of him finally catching her filling her with equal measures of longing and dread. Until it finally happened, she had just jumped from a building to another, but she never landed on her feet, she felt his arms lock around her in mid-air, the whole world engulfed in darkness as they rolled over, his cape covering the both of them. They struggled until he was trapping her, his hands pushing her wrists against the concrete, his hips gluing hers to the ground. Her chest heaving against his armour, her heartbeats so fast she could almost taste them.

His head dipped, Selina’s lids trembled, the night’s air was blown with the high-pitched sounds of sirens.

Selina sighed, turning her face away.

‘Master Bruce there is gang fight near you, firearm was heard. Be careful.’ A metallic voice that was clearly Alfred coming from Batman’s cowl was heard.

‘Alfred is in this too? Why am I surprised?’

‘Later, Selina.’

And he left.

Still lying on the ground, Selina plucked out the jewel from the dip of the valley of her breasts. He had forgotten to take it back.

Selina was in her bed, not sleeping and trying to figure out what the hell was happening to her and Bruce lately when a black mass landed on her balcony.

‘When you said later I didn’t expect this soon.’ She said opening the glass doors.

He said nothing, just grunted and tilted forward, falling against Selina.

‘What is it, Bruce?’ She was scared now, and it got worse when she felt something warm and wet dripping from his side and tainting her fingers red. ‘Oh god you’re bleeding. I’m calling Lee.’

‘No need.’ He breathed. ‘Just need a couple of stitches, and to lie down a bit.’

‘Couple of stitches? What if you have internal bleeding?’

‘I don’t. It’s not that bad.’ She didn’t seem convinced at all. Bruce took one of his gloved hands to her face, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and smearing blood on her skin. ‘Trust me.’

‘You are one crazy bastard, do you know that? Come on, let’s put you on the couch, you are not bleeding all over my bed.’

His arm over her shoulders, hers around his waist, they made the short way to the living room, a trail of droplets of blood following them. Bruce let a relieved grunt when he finally sat on the couch.

‘Let me see.’

He pushed his cowl behind. Selina turned the lamp on, Bruce winced at the sudden light. His face was tired but not too pale, he had not lost a lot of blood. Selina felt the knot in her stomach give a little. He took off his gloves and she helped him with his armour and top, trying not to think the last time she helped him undress. Her breath hitched when he was naked from his upper body and Selina couldn’t help herself when she felt her eyes water when she saw all the scars.

‘What have you done to yourself, you stupid dickhead?’

‘Thanks.’ He said with a grimace.

‘Shut up. Lean back a little, I have to see it.’

As he told her, it was not that bad. She was no doctor but she had seen her share ugly wounds and that one didn’t even made to her top twenty. It was a puncture wound, made by something sharp and pointy, and it was bleeding a lot, but it was not deep enough to reach anything inside, mostly because Bruce now was a beefcake of a person. Far cry from the skinny boy that was all too tall and long limbs.

‘I’ll get the stuff to stitch ya. Stop moving, geez!’

She was working in silence when she felt him touching her hair again. She battered his hand away. Bruce sighed.

‘Are you mad at me?’

‘What do you think?’ She answered between her teeth.

‘You are always mad at me, Selina, and half of the time I don’t even know why.’

She raised her head to give him an incredulous look.

‘Are you kidding me, aren’t you?’

‘I’m really not.’

Selina looked up sighing dramatically.

‘Lord give strength. You can’t possible be this stupid.’

‘I’m afraid I am.’ Oh, she sometimes hated when he played his naïve boy number.

‘Bruce… You come to my window in the middle of the night bleeding, hurt, give me a scare… Look at yourself. You’re all… I don’t get it. You have everything. You always had. You don’t need to do this to yourself.’

‘Pot, you’re back too.’ But unlike when she said that to him, Bruce didn’t look mad at all, he had this soft look on his face, an endeared look. Selina wanted to punch him.

‘It’s different! I take care of myself. You clearly haven’t.’ She retorted exasperated.

He gave her those sad, serious eyes of him, the ones that convinced her by the age of thirteen that she had to protect him from world’s harm forever.

‘I do have to do this, Selina. You know I do. But it’s nice that you care.’

‘Shut up!’

He played with her hair again, this time she didn’t bother to stop him, and he felt her hands going a little lighter on the stitches. When she finished she gave him a glass of water and a couple of painkillers. He fell asleep soon after, so fast and easily that he didn’t even feel her taking his boots off or covering him with a blanket, neither the kiss on his forehead.

Next morning he woke up to the sound of giggles and a strange prickling sensation on his leg.

He first saw a cell phone pointed to him. He frowned and started to register the world around the device, the little girl with messy dark hair filming him, and an unfamiliar weight on his left thigh. Bruce looked away from Helena to see a grey cat kneading him.

‘Morning, princess.’ He greeted with a sleep heavy voice.

‘Morning, dad. What are you doing on our sofa?’

Bruce scrabbled around his brain for a convincing answer that would make the least harm possible when Helena crouched to get something from the floor.

It was his cowl.

Shit.

‘Daddy… Are you the Batman?’

‘You must understand that you can never tell anyone about it, Helena, you can put our whole family in grave danger.’ Explained Bruce carefully as they had breakfast. He made toast and scrambled eggs. Helena set the table. Selina was just allowed to microwave stuff and boil water, so she did the later.

‘Yeah, I know. I’ve never told anyone about mom being Catwoman either.’

Selina spilled coffee all over the table when her hand shook, Bruce tried to fix the damage with a dishcloth.

‘What?! Since when do you know that?’

‘A while… I mean. People do call you Cat for no reason. And Mrs. Lockwood, you know, from Arts and Crafts, she was showing us pictures from stolen art and a few of them was part of our décor. At first I thought we had replicas, but they are the real deal, aren’t they?’

‘You keep stolen items here? Selina!’

‘Oh god… I’m so stupid. Why did I think I’d have a normal kid with you?’ She glared at Bruce. ‘Of course she is an evil genius.’ And she tickled the little girl’s side mercilessly.

‘Mommy!’

‘I think she is brilliant. I wish I was half as good as a detective when I was your age, Helena.’

‘Of course she is.’ Selina tickled Helena harder. ‘My terrible, brilliant evil genius.’

‘No, mommy, stop!’ Pleaded Helena giggling and making half-hearted attempts to escape her mother.

Bruce watched the both of them and imagined how it would be if all his mornings were like that.

Bruce was in his way home when Alfred called saying that Dick was not in his bed and that he couldn’t find him anywhere. They argued over the phone because there was no sights of a break in, no not on his bed, and there was also no surveillance camera recordings of him leaving. He called Selina to ask if Helena knew something even though he had just left them, then he called Barbara to see if Babs knew something, and Alfred was calling people too to no avail. Bruce was carrying dread around him as if it was an actual corporeal entity when he got to the cave and found Dick asleep curled on his computer chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know… The next chapter should have been the last before the epilogue… But I told you last time, I changed the ending, it’s still will be happy and cute and all, but I needed more character development. Oh, and you are also getting a surprise on the last chapter.
> 
> Keep taking care of yourselves and your loved ones. I’ll come back soon.


	20. Storge part II

Dick woke up when Bruce tried to pick him up from the chair with the intention of putting the boy in his bed.

And to Bruce’s surprise, sweet good mannered Dick was not happy. His face was puffy and Bruce noticed that he had cried himself to sleep. Soon he was crying again, angry hot tears tearing down over his red cheeks, he was screaming so many things at the same time that Bruce couldn’t understand him. He ended up choosing to be silent until the boy, finally spent, exhausted, fell heavily on the chair again.

‘You are Batman. You were there. And you did _nothing_!’

‘I didn’t know that would happen, Dick.’

‘Did you catch him? The guy who did that to my parents? To me?’

‘No. Not yet.’

‘What is the point of you, then?’

Bruce approached the boy, he fell on his knees, touching Dick’s fisted hand with his gloved one tenderly.

‘I can’t change the past. I can’t stop crime from happening. But I’ll do everything in my power to bring to justice those who need to be punished.’

‘Have you at least found out who did it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Who? _Why_?’

‘Before I tell you, I must to warn you. Knowing who and why won’t bring you peace. The person who killed your parents was not a monster-‘

‘How dare you!’ He snapped his hand away.

‘Listen to me. It was not a monster who killed you parents. It was a person like you and I. The reason was petty, as all reasons for murder are, because no reason is worthy of taking a life. Knowing who, finding out why won’t change what happened.’

Dick seemed to consider the words, trying to calm himself.

‘But did you really find out?’ The boy asked in a tiny voice.

‘Yes.’

‘Tell me!’

‘Not tonight. You are tired, and went through too much distress.’

‘No! I want to know!’

Bruce sighed and rose from the floor wincing in pain.

Dick’s expression softened a little.

‘Are you hurt?’

‘It’s nothing. Dick, please. Go to bed. I promise to tell you everything later.’

‘I’m calling Al.’ His expression changing from anger and hurt to terror, he ran in the direction of the stairs.

A week later after Dick tried to follow him twice during patrol, he decided to do something about it. Alfred absolutely hated the idea, but helped him nonetheless, and Robin was born.

Helena stormed inside Bruce’s office – that was not the study, he learnt that he needed a room to work by himself on Dick’s first week at the mansion – she was in obvious distress.

‘But if _he_ gets to be Robin what will I be?’

‘Helena Kyle, my daughter.’ He still hadn’t discussed last names with Selina, but he was planning to do it.

‘That isn’t fair!’

‘Life hardly is, sweetheart.’

‘But daaaad.’

‘Helena, your mother would never say yes to that, and neither will I.’ He said in a tired tone, his wound was letting him uncomfortable and short tempered.

‘But why if Dick can…’

‘Dick is older, he has training from the circus, he will get more training from me, and he has a reason for doing this, you, my dear, have not.’

‘That is sexist! You are just letting him because he is a _boy_.’

And she stormed off dramatically.

‘Helena! Don’t go. Helena!’ He stood up ready to follow her.

‘Kitten, what is it?’ Said Selina entering the room, she tried to block Helena’s path but the girl was faster. ‘Did you have a fight? What happened, Bruce?’

Bruce fell on his chair once again.

‘Helena is mad, because Dick is getting training to become Robin.’

She eyes him suspiciously.

‘Robin?’

‘That’s how his mother called him.’

Selina crossed her arms over her chest.

‘Do I have to pretend that you said something that makes sense or will you elaborate?’

Bruce sighed tiredly, he massaged his temples, his headache getting worse.

‘It means that he found out about Batman, and that he wants to help.’

She crossed the room reaching to his table and leaning into him, her hands flat over the wood, an angry expression on her face.

‘How can a little boy help Batman, Bruce?’

He involuntarily leaned into her, but his expression remained calm.

‘Selina, remember how we were at that age, if I don’t let him he will do it anyway, it is better if I prepare him to what he is going to face.’

She was so close, he could see each of her freckles, smell her fruity lipgloss.

‘He is a child! He doesn’t have to face anything harder than a math test. Man, you are really a nutcase, you know that? Bruce, you are his parent you don’t just let him do whatever dangerous shit he wants to do, you ground him or something. Take away his videogame.’

‘Yeah, because that worked wonders for us.’ Bruce snapped back annoyed and tired of that discussion and breaking eye contact with her, falling back on his chair. ‘He is decided, Selina.’

‘He is twelve. Ok, whatever, just don’t put Helena in the middle of this too.’

‘We couldn’t agree more.’ They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, until Bruce’s furred brow relaxed. He stood up, walked towards Selina, his hands in his pockets, maybe to help restrain himself. He towered over her. ‘Selina… About the other night-‘

‘We were drunk’ she blurted. ‘Won’t happen again.’

‘Right…’ He sighed.

‘I have to go now.’ She said nervously. ‘Work to do.’

He wanted to reach out for her and beg her to stay, but defeated, he let her go.

Selina observed the children run and play during recess, recognizing a familiar dark curly and fiery ginger duo, she called attention to herself until the girls came running.

‘Mommy! What are you doing here? It’ too early!’

‘Hi kitten. Hi, Babs.’

‘Hi auntie Sel.’

‘I didn’t come to pick you up, I came to talk to Dick.’

Helena frowned.

‘Talk to Dick? About what?’

Selina smiled.

‘What have I told you about curious kittens?’

‘They are brilliant and more fun than regular ones?’

Selina booped her nose making the little girl giggle.

‘Go get him for me, will you?’

She playfully rolled her eyes.

‘Riiiight.’ And they ran away.

Moments after the trio appeared. Dick had his cheeks very red and his curly hair was wet, sticking to his forehead.

‘Hello, Miss Kyle. They said you wanted to talk to me…’ He looked confused a bit afraid.

‘Girls, can you give us a moment?’

They exchanged confused looks.

‘But mommy…’

‘Please?’

‘Okay…’ The trio exchanged a look before the girls left.

Selina didn’t say a word for a while, she didn’t know exactly what she came to talk to him if she was being honest. But she could see that every second of second was leaving him more anxious and that was not what she wanted.

‘Bruce told me what you’re planning… About Robin.’

She expected the full Dick Grayson reaction, excitement, boisterous smiles, shinning eyes, but she never before saw him so serious and sombre.

‘You don’t approve.’

‘No, I don’t.’

He looked devastated.

‘Can I ask why?’ His voice was tight, Selina felt the urge to hug him, but he was not her kid, and she didn’t know how he would react to that.

‘You are far too young… I know you want revenge.’

‘Justice.’

‘No. Revenge. And I understand it. I don’t judge you. But you are a child, Dick. You will end up killed or worse. And no revenge is worth that. I know you think you have everything figured out. When I was your age I thought that too and horrible things happened to me. And Bruce… He’s dangerous. He means well, I know he does, but he has a habit of putting people in harm’s way. I almost died so many times because of that, and even thought I don’t regret it, you might, one day when will be too late go back.’

She made a pause, waited for him to speak, but Dick said nothing, she had never seen him being so quiet before.

‘I know kids think he is some kind of superhero now, but he isn’t. He’s just human as you and I, he makes mistakes, so many of them. Look at Helena, she is ten years old and he just met her, and everyday I wonder if I did the right thing by letting him in, because if he has to go out every night to risk his life, one day he might not come back, and that would break her heart.’

‘I’m sorry.’ He finally said after a while.

‘For what?’

‘I understand now. You are afraid for his safety, for mine too. But you ended giving me a better reason to do this. Maybe I want revenge as you say, even though Bruce calls it justice. And you are right. He is only human. You know, I never thought of my parents dying. Never crossed my mind. Not even as an impossible thought, I just didn’t even think about it. Then they did. And now I have Bruce. I can’t let him die too.’

The sentiment was so familiar, it made Selina’s chest feel tight, she crouched to his level, facing his naïve blue eyes and reaching to his soft face, still so plump, so young.

‘Dick, no, that’s not your responsibility!’

‘I know.’ He gave her the huge smile he was famous for. ‘But I want to do it anyway. He is fighting alone, it isn’t fair. I want to help.’

‘Oh god…’ Selina took a hand to her temple.

‘We’ll be fine. It’s a promise. Thank you for your concern. Now I have to go, recess is over. My soccer team must be hating me, I left in the middle of the game. Bye, Miss!’

‘You can just call me Selina.’

‘Okay!’ And the sombre kid disappeared completely, the Dick she knew was back, smiley and bubbly. He gave her a tight hug that caught her completely by surprise and then run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The birth of Robin! And Selina is definitely a better parent than Bruce XD I love the guy, I do, but this Robin business is crazy. Not that Selina never did that too, she had a few Catgirls, and I looove Catlad fics, so cute.
> 
> I have to tell you that aren’t following my writing blog (pandoraimperatrix.tumblr.com) that I finished writing this story and I’m super melancholic over it. It was such a nice experience to me. I had a lot of fun and you guys have been amazing to me too. Thank you!


	21. Storge part III

Selina was almost falling asleep when she turned in bed and there was a massive shadow blocking the view outside. She sat up startled, blinking completely awake and, with an annoyed exhale, stood up to open the glass door.

‘Why are such a creep? Can you call first or something? Let me see where you hurt yourself again, but don’t you dare make this an habit-‘

‘Selina…’

‘What?’ She snapped.

‘I’m not hurt.’

Selina furrow got even more knotted when he touched her forearm lightly, bringing her closer.

‘Bruce? What is it?’

‘I just wanted to…’ Selina watched him take off his cowl and approach her like it was a dream, she offered no resistance when he kissed her, but she didn’t kiss him either.

‘What is it?’ He asked softly, his voice hoarse, his breath warm and so close.

‘No. No, no, no.’ She started punching him on the chest as he held her. ‘You can’t do this. You can’t just come back to my life and expect to pick up from where we left of after leaving me for ten years without even saying goodbye.’

‘Selina…’ He pleaded rubbing her arms.

‘No, Bruce, fuck you.’ She punched him again, this time stronger, but he didn’t let go. She had tears in her eyes and a hurt expression, it was breaking his heart. ‘Do you know how it was? It was _hard_ to be left behind like that again, and that is what I had to become, hard.’

‘I’m sorry.’ And he meant it, he meant it so much.

‘No! Fuck you, fuck you a million times, you don’t get to be sorry.’ She punched his chest one last time and Bruce finally let her go, almost as if she was missing him, Selina hug herself.

‘I had to, Selina, I did. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that all kinds of evil would be always coming for me and hurt the people that I care about, that I love, and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I want you to know that my feelings for you never changed. I don’t think they ever will.’

‘No, I don’t care, go away.’ The tears was falling now, and when Bruce looked at her she looked so young, he could perfectly see the girl from ten years ago, and he hated himself for what he had done to her.

‘Selina… Listen to me.’ He pleaded again, an edge of despair in his voice.

‘No, even before we were always like that, hurting each other so much, we can’t… We just have a fight yesterday for crying out loud! I can’t do it all over again, and now I have to think about Helena, she can’t have her parents fighting all the time.’

‘Selina, I love you.’ But the way he said it was far from romantic. He said it like someone who was stubbornly tries to make a point, cool anger in each word instead of passion.

She snorted bitterly.

‘Fuck you, Bruce.’

‘Well, I do. And I think Helena has already made clear of her opinion on both of us.’

‘She is ten, she thinks Barbara is a natural ginger.’ Said her so comically annoyed and so _her_ that his anger melted.

He chuckled, she eyed him like he had just grown another head.

Bruce walked towards her, the back of his fingers brushing her tear smeared cheek, her lids trembled, and her posture relaxed slightly.

‘How I missed you. Your dry humour, your curly hair, those eyes…’ He leaned into her. ‘Your smell… Selina…’

‘Oh, shut up.’

And throwing her arms around his neck, Selina kissed him. Bruce hoisted her up waking both of them inside still in liplock, Selina’s kiss was angry, her nose crunched against his, her fingers pulling his hair hard, she was biting his lip in a way he knew it would feel tender well after she finished her ministrations. He hope it would. I had been so long since the last time he felt her like that, the kiss in the kitchen had been good, but it was far from enough, but there was never enough for him when it came to Selina. Now he wanted to take his time, he wanted it to last long after it was over.

Her clothes were easy, she was only wearing a flimsy lace nightgown to sleep, and when they reached the bed all he had to do was slide his hands under the smooth fabric and pull it up as she raised her arms to help him. He mapped her body like a man that finally returns home after a lifetime on exile. He wanted to kiss each new freckle and get reacquainted with the old ones, trace with the tip of his tongue each new scar and the scattered thunderbolts of her stretch marks on her hips and breasts, but she was so impatient. He chuckled at her annoyance at his cape and armour, silencing her complaints with soft kisses every time she got too frustrated.

When he was finally free from his uniform, she took control again, pulling him to bed and straddling him. The neon lights coming from outside gave her glistening moist skin a pink halo, like she was something out of the world. His hand caressed her navel reaching upwards cupping a breast, his stupid male brain noticed that they were bigger than they used to be, the word breastfeeding crossing his mind before it was completely wiped out when she trusted against him. Bruce’s breath hitched and he rubbed her nipple, watching as she closed her eyes and parted her mouth to let out a moan. Selina tried to get him inside her, but he stopped her. She looked at him confused.

‘Not yet. Lie down.’

She rolled her eyes.

‘I forgot how bossy you are.’

He gave her a half smile.

‘I could never forget how hasty _you_ are, and how beautiful.’

‘You don’t need to say this mushy stuff anymore, I’m already naked.’

He chuckled, and turned their positions, he took his time kissing her long and slow.

‘I say it because I mean it.’ He said against her neck, listening her to breathe hard against his ear.

‘Shut up.’ She told him in mock annoyance enjoying the feeling if his weight holding her in place, her hands roaming through his back.

He bit her neck for that, and missed her satisfied smile as he kissed his way down.

She was taking too long to come back, but Bruce was so caught in his moment of afterglow bliss, surrounded by her smell that he didn’t stress over it, what moments after proved to have been a huge mistake.

‘You have to go.’ Selina said coming out of the bathroom. Her face was washed out. She was dressing what looked like an old cotton t-shirt too big for her. He wondered how that came to her possession.

‘What?’ He asked confused, he had been so relaxed that he was almost falling asleep.

‘Just go.’ Her voice sounded weak, but decided. ‘This was a mistake.’

‘Selina… No…’

‘Just go, Bruce’ her voice broke. ‘I shouldn’t… Please. Just go.’

Bruce felt dread coursing all over his body, he wanted to argue again, but her eyes looked dead and hollow. And he had the impression that if he forced her to listen she would raise her walls even higher or crumble to dust and he didn’t know what scared him the most.

Selina waited until he was standing to walk across him, putting as much space as was possible in those closed quarters, she lied on her bed that was now covered in both of their smells, she curled into herself and soon her shoulders started shaking softly.

That night Bruce dressed himself was he heard Selina cry quietly into her pillow, her back turned away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW I’M MEAN I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON ALRIGHT. But hear me out, the best is yet to come! Promise.
> 
> The final scene of this chapter is inspired by Brendan Perry’s Medusa:
> 
> “Medusa, you robbed me of my youth  
> Abandoned me on the Tropic of Solitude  
> Seducer of the shipwrecked and forlorn  
> You told me to get dressed  
> Then turned my heart to stone”


	22. Storge part IV

‘Oh hello, stranger.’ Said Barbara opening the door, she had her usual maniac smile and was day drinking.

‘Sorry about coming without a heads up, Helena said she and Babs had a project for school that she forgot to tell me about.’

Helena seemed completely unaffected by her mother’s jab.

‘Hi, auntie Barbara.’

‘Hi, honey, give me a kiss.’ Barbara bended over to hug the little girl. ‘Babs in her room, you can go in without knocking, she is blasting that awful thing she calls music and won’t hear you.’

Then, she turned back to Selina.

‘Don’t be silly, Selina. You can come whenever. This will always be your home.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Can I get you a glass of wine?’

So what it was eleven in the morning?

‘Sure.’

Selina Kyle, wine mom extraordinaire. She fell heavily on the couch as Barbara went to the bar fill a glass for Selina.

‘You are not looking good, are you sick?’

‘Wow, thank you!’ Said Selina bitter and annoyed.

‘I mean it.’ She said it matter-of-factly but also with a concerned note as she gave Selina the glass of wine.

Selina sighed and took a generous sip, it was the good stuff, but then, it was Barbara.

‘I know you do.’

Barbara sat beside her, massaging Selina’s arm motherly.

‘Selina, come on, you know you can talk to me.’

‘I’m fine, Barbara.’

‘You’re clearly not. It’s Bruce, isn’t it? Did you fight again? You were looking so well at the party.’

Selina held the cup with both hands, looking at the shadows on the red liquid.

‘No he… We didn’t fight. Well, we did, but we always do. That wasn’t it.’

‘What was it then?’

‘We had sex.’ She blurted.

‘Ohh juicy!’

Selina groaned, rolling her eyes. Why Barbara had to be _so Barbara_ sometimes?

‘Forget it.’

‘No, please. I’ll be good.’

‘Right.’ Selina snorted.

‘But at least you used protection this time?’ Barbara asked in a mocking sweet voice.

‘Barbara, I’m not a teenager anymore.’

‘Did you?’ She asked more serious.

Selina actually felt her face heating.

‘No… But I’m on birth control, so it’s probably fine. But that’s not the point.’

‘And that would be?’

Selina sighed, and took more of the wine, she knew it would only worsen the headache and the stomach pain that she was feeling and that she knew it had nothing to do with an actual disease, but she didn’t care at the time. The pain was good. It was a distraction.

‘I told him to leave… When it was over. The face he made…’ She drank more of the wine, her hands shaking. Barbara gently took the glass away from Selina who covered her face with her hands. ‘Oh god.’ She sobbed. ‘I can’t do it, Barbara. I can’t do it again. I can just let him in after all that happened. Do you remember how I was when he left? I can’t go back to that place, I have a kid now. I can’t. I just can’t.’

Barbara put the glasses on the wine table and held Selina’s shaking shoulders sideways, resting her head against the younger woman’s.

‘Hey. Calm down.’ And when Selina stopped crying so hard, Barbara loosened her grip. ‘Look at me.’ Selina did. ‘You are not that Selina anymore, and he’s not that Bruce.’

‘So what?’ She felt so stupid, so young, like a silly child, a crybaby. Her voice thick from all the crying. ’That changes nothing.’

Barbara rubbed Selina’s tears away.

‘That changes everything. Yes, maybe falling into bed with him without working through your baggage wasn’t smart, but you clearly still have feelings for each other. You have always been so brave, you are the bravest person I know, Selina. Will you really let go of a second chance because you are afraid of getting hurt?’

‘He will do it again, he will fuck things over, I know he will.’

Barbara sighed, the compassion dissipating.

‘Well, maybe he will. Maybe _you_ will. You are no saint sweetheart. People change. Maybe you will find out that you’re just not compatible anymore. But you pulled yourself from that pit before, when things were so much harder. If you have to, you can do it again.’

Selina didn’t want to have to. But she didn’t say anything. The both of them stood in contemplative silence for a while, then Selina got up and went to bathroom to fix her face. When she came back, Barbara pushed a refilled glass in her hands.

‘But now, comparative performance, better or worse?’

‘Ew, Barbara!’

Barbara was clearly having trouble to hide her amusement, or maybe she wasn’t trying at all.

‘That bad?’

Selina took a huge gulp of the wine, her voice getting a little rough.

‘He got better, okay?’ Hating that she was saying nice things about Bruce, but trying to preserve her pride. She was not pinning over some guy that couldn’t even fuck her properly. ‘He was never bad to begin with.’

‘Really? All my boyfriends from teen years were lame.’ Barbara sounded almost sad.

‘Well, I don’t believe you went out with weird nerds like Bruce. He probably researched, read books, watched tutorial videos, and crammed like he had to take a test or something.’

Barbara blurted a whole-hearted laugh.

‘You have such a great taste, kiddo.’

Selina finished her glass and filled another.

‘Don’t I fucking know it?’

‘Oooh!’ Exclaimed Barbara so excited that she almost choked with her drink. ‘And there was his whore phase! He must have learned something there. The whore phase, I forgot about that. That was hilarious.’

‘Oh yes, when he wouldn’t talk to me but came to my bar every night to show off and make out with those brainless sluts in front of my face.’

‘Careful, that sound a lot like jealousy.’

‘I _was_ jealous! How come after all the work I’ve done on that nerd they got to have the hot badboy version? I clearly had the dibs.’

‘I make that by your glowing smile and lightheaded whistle things are going well with Miss Kyle.’

‘Don’t want to talk about it, Alfred.’

Bruce had not been leaving the cave in days, using all his time to brood and build, brood and build.

‘Oh,wonderful, my TARDIS works. I _did_ travel back in time.’

Bruce angrily used the driller to muffle Alfred’s voice.

‘Very mature, sir.’ Said Alfred after waiting patiently the drilling to stop.

‘Go away, Alfred, I’m busy.’

‘Well, I might remind you, sir, that as much as you want to stay here and pity yourself for hours no end, there is a boy upstairs confused for why he is being ignored by his mentor.’

Bruce swallowed hard trying to ignore the bitter taste of guilt.

‘I’ll talk to Dick, later.’

‘You might as well. I’ll be leaving then, I expect to see you clean and ready to dinner at eight o’clock sharp.’

‘I will eat a sandwich later.’ Grunted back Bruce.

‘No, you must certainly will not.’ The butler said unfazed. ‘You will have proper dinner with Master Dick upstairs.’

Bruce took a deep calming breath.

‘Fine.’

‘And I must remember you, also, Master Bruce, that you can hardly make a cat do your bidding whenever you want, but once it becomes fond of you it will eventually come to you on its own.’

She was languidly lying on his bed one morning after patrol, apparently, her plan had been surprising him with tequila and a very tight vinyl two-piece, but as he spent all night out, she fell asleep while waiting. Bruce wanted to be angry by her appearing like that after how awful their last meeting had been, but he just couldn’t, he felt almost euphoric. Sure, he was dead tired when he parked in the cave, and the misery he had been feeling since she told him to go away had presented itself like exhaustion most of days, but now he felt alight like a Christmas three.

He sat on the bed next to her, and just looked at her for a moment. She couldn’t be comfortable wearing that to sleep, as good as the shiny material made her curves look, but he didn’t want to wake her up just yet. Bruce was very surprised that his presence didn’t wake her by itself. She used to be so skittish as a child, once she squeezed a lot of money out of him by betting that he wouldn’t be able to give her a scare. But she might have cheated back then, she always cheated. As much as the scenario presented looked to be in his favour he was dreading that moment to end, maybe it would be a repetition of the other night. Maybe she was just drunk when she crawled through his window, maybe, when she finally opened her eyes, it would be only to reject him again. He didn’t think he could go through that again. Maybe they could stay in that moment forever, and he would pretend that having Selina in his bed was something that would remain true for as long as that stretch of forever would take. 

‘What are you thinking there so hard?’ Her voice brought him back from his reverie, it was hoarse with sleep. She stretched like a cat, purring softly as she did so and then looked at him, her eye make up a little smeared, a severe case of bed hair, he felt himself unable to stop the smile blossoming in his lips.

‘What are you doing in my bed, Selina?’

‘Sleeping, obviously.’

‘Obviously.’

‘Come here.’

‘But you said last tim-‘

‘Shhhh.’

They didn’t talk a lot after that. Later that afternoon he woke to find an empty bed.

She hardly gives indication to their two shared nights after that, but he tries not to overthink it, as much as possible for someone like him, which isn’t much. But he start making excuses for her. Maybe she is acting like nothing changed because it’s too new and they have children now. They make small talk when they meet under pretences related to their daughter, after the dinner Helena was always anxious around them, expecting something to happen, but as weeks went by and her parents didn’t look anything more than old friends, she started to stop showing interest.

Catwoman and Batman, however, don’t do anything to avoid each other. Well, she runs, but that’s only because she wants him to catch her, and sometimes, he does, but he often forgets to take what she stole as well as her clothes.

She is never his plus one at galas, but he always makes sure she gets an invite. And between fake laughs, boring conversations, he would discreetly follow her around the dance floor, trying to return as much wallets and jewellery she pickpocketed without neither of them being caught. These nights usually are followed by quickies on bathroom sinks or unlocked rooms.

And then, there was the nights he slipped under her sheets after a hard night of patrol, after he acknowledged that the price for those moments was silence. But she would trace the lines on his face and softly kiss his scars, and the lovemaking was sweet, she would smile into his kisses and he would lose hours of sleep just looking at her. But he would be gone before Helena woke up, Selina didn’t exactly ask but he knew that was implied even if she wouldn’t state it. Sometimes he felt like the woman he slept with and the woman who shared a kid and a past with him were completely different. The disconnection was such that he wondered what would be like asking the Selina, his friend, who talked to him every day, for advice dealing with the Selina who fucked him in back alleys and on the backseat of his car and then pretended he wasn’t there. It wasn’t like he had other friends he could talk about that. All his acquaintances where either father figures to him or seen him as such, in a way that talking about that would go from absolutely uncomfortable to completely inappropriate.

Alfred knew, of course, what Alfred doesn’t. In the beginning he seemed satisfied with his discovery, for one Bruce was not hiding in the cave more than normal anymore. And since training had become harder and more frequent, Dick was getting a lot more self-control and breaking less things, which would make Alfred happy by itself. But he was always trying to let Bruce and Selina alone, which was odd considering Alfred had never been pro their relationship when they were young. Granted, that ship had sailed ten years ago and they had Helena as proof, but it was still funny see Alfred setting up situations for them to be alone instead of appearing out of the blue to stop them from getting too handsy with one another. However, was months progressed and no announcement was made, he started to become inpatient, and if Bruce was honest with himself, so did he.

'Good morning, sir.’ Alfred announced himself, and Bruce pressed pause on the music to listen to him, but kept running on the thread mile. ‘Miss Dawes called earlier, I told her you would free tomorrow for brunch.’

Bruce stopped running and almost fell.

‘What? Alfred! You know I don’t do dates!’

‘Oh but don’t you think people will start finding strange that the most eligible bachelor of Gotham City is never seen accompanied?’

‘I don’t care.’

‘Well, I think you will not care either when they start calling you eccentric and making theories… Not many people in this city, quizás the world, have the means and the motives to have a… Hn… Hobby like yours, sir. You must make the idea that Bruce Wayne might be something other than a spoiled dim-witted prat ridiculous.’

‘What going to brunch Miss whatshername has to do with that? And since when do you approve of brunch, Alfred?’

‘I approve it is special occasions, sir. And it’s Miss Dawes, she is a defence attorney.’

‘Alfred? A DA? Me? You know how hard I work to put criminals behind bars and you want me to go out with someone who does the complete reverse for a living?’

‘Considering your past choices for lovers, sir, I did not think that would bother you.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘The brunch is tomorrow at two o’clock, I will email you the location.’

‘I’m not going, Alfred.’

‘Do as you may, Master Bruce, but you will have to call her and tell her yourself. Now I shall tend to my chores.’

Bruce let his head fall defeated, and then he researched this Miss Dawes, what could possibly a DA have any interest in a billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne?

Turns out she wasn’t just any DA, she was specialized in cases concerning children accused of felonies. She said that she once heard him say in an interview that he was against incarceration of minors, a quick glimpse that escaped behind his mask of idiocy, and tried to get in contact with him to talk about this project she had to help such children but was desperately needing funding.

But what surprised him the most was how nice that afternoon had been. How freeing was to talk with someone intelligent and that had so many of the same ideals he had. Rachel Dawes was beautiful in her classic upper middle class way. She talked eloquently, and wore a silk blouse under a tailleur to see him, subtle make up, all very easy to look at, all very proper and polished. He wondered if it was that the kind of women he would be seeing if he had never met his destiny that awful night. If he would have gone to college like his parents intended, had crushes on a normal girl that took English Literature classes and talked about long dead writers like they were old friends. He imagined normal dates, cinema, the opera, no, not the opera. Walking hand in hand through museums corridors in which she would not even dare to touch the glass windows. He imagined dinners with his parents, and the normal order of things, engagement, wedding and then, after that, a kid.

He didn’t want just normal, but the intimacy that came with it, he wanted the stupid disagreements, and goodbye kisses before work, he wanted to wake up every morning next to the woman he loved, he wanted more than stolen moments, he wanted more than what he had with Selina.

So, when Rachel asked him if he would want to meet another time, he said yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVIL, I’M EEEEEEEEEVIL. But this is not what you’re thinking, believe me. Rachel here will be as much as a character as she was in the Nolan movies, in which, you know, she could have been replaced by a sexy lamp (I don’t like those movies either LMAO).
> 
> Take care my darlings, and tell me your thoughts even if they're angry ones. I can take it XDD.


	23.  Storge part V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: There is a passing mention of paedophilia in this chapter.

He found her on his bed when he returned from his date with Rachel. This time she was not asleep, but comfortably lying down, her curls spread on the pillow, wearing just a black lacy lingerie. She put her phone away when he entered, turned to her side to look at him better, and had a smile waiting for him, a dark seductive one. Bruce never wanted her so much. He wanted to hold her down fuck her so thoroughly that they would never be able to stop feeling each other’s fingertips no matter how long apart. But he couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t. Not like that, not anymore.

Bruce sighed. His hands in his pockets, and he just stared down at her silently begging her to say something, but Selina remained unfazed just looking at him with a bored expression.

‘Selina, we can’t keep doing this.’ He finally said after a long while.

‘Why? Will your girlfriend be jealous?’

He feared that she would be like that.

‘Selina, don’t…’

‘Don’t what, Bruce? You don’t wanna have sex?’ She stood up from the bad, her movements stiff with anger instead her usual smooth feline gestures. ‘Fine by me. Ciao.’

‘No, please, let’s talk.’ It was so hard to not touch her, but he feared that if he did, they would fall in their usual dynamics and nothing would change.

‘You don’t need to break up with me, this time. You didn’t bother before. This now? It was just sex. We can just stop.’ To his surprise, she didn’t sound bitter, just sad.

‘No.’

‘No, what?’

‘It was not just sex and you know that. Selina I am sorry. I am. But I can’t keep apologizing forever. I hurt you, I know I did, and I regret it everyday, but I can’t go back in time. I can’t fix it away and give us back the ten years we’ve lost. I can’t unabandon you. I wish I could, and not just because you were pregnant, but because living apart from you was the hardest thing I ever done and I can’t do it again. Please don’t make me.’ He made a pause, scared to his core, but she said nothing, so he continued. ‘But I can’t keep doing this either. Do you know what it was like tonight? What was like flirt with Rachel, hold her hand, just talk to her? It was really nice. But it was not enough, it was not what I wanted, because every time I looked at her she still was not you.’

He waited for her to say something hurtful, to dismiss his feelings, to laugh at his face, to call him on his own bullshit. So many times before he wondered if Selina hated him with the same intensity she loved him, so many times she gave him clues that was so. So many times she hurt him to make him understand how deep her wound was.

But Selina said nothing, she just stared at him, gobsmacked, like she was seeing the ocean for the first time. He approached her, he took her face in his hands, stared at those eyes that he loved so much, trying to make her understand, to make her stay.

‘And I want you. God… I want you.’

Her breath hitched.

‘You will screw up again, I know you will.’ She said with a strangled voice, her hands covering his tightly.

‘Honestly? I probably will. And so will you. But we can always make up later.’

She bit her lip and looked away for a second, his heart faltered, he felt like they were on a cliff’s edge, so close to the fall and even closer to heaven.

She turned her eyes to him again, they were so dark.

‘We will traumatise Helena so badly.’

He chucked in wonder, barely believing that she wasn’t leaving.

‘Every parent do that to their children a little. Please, Selina. Give us at least a chance to try.’

They stood that way forever, her eyes closed, he leaned his forehead against hers, he had never been so afraid in his adult life, he tried to not hold her too strongly but it was hard.

‘Okay.’ She finally breathed.

He blinked, his whole body feeling numb, like all his muscles had relaxed at once.

‘Okay?’ He repeated, his voice weak.

She giggled softly it was also half a sob.

‘Yes.’

‘Oh thank you…’ He kissed her hard, Selina squeaking at the intensity of his ministrations. He hugged her close and tight by the waist, he wanted to feel every inch of her. They kissed until their lips were bruised, until it was so hard to breathe that he had to spread the kisses to her cheek, sucking her earlobe and the skin of her neck. Selina undid his tie and the buttons of his shirt to return the favour, and she was fumbling with his trousers when Bruce held her hands.

‘I don’t think I can today.’

She looked up breathless and confused.

‘What?’

‘I want to. You know I do, but can I just hold you? I’m so tired.’

She frowned a mix of amusement and endearment in her face.

‘Really?’

He felt his face turn hot.

‘Yeah…’

‘Okay…’

He undressed with her help, and they cuddled. He was still spreading light kisses on her back and shoulders when she asked.

‘Are you sure you don’t wanna…?’

‘No, I’m fine. This is nice.’

‘Sure, old man.’

‘You’re older than me, Selina.’

‘How dare you!’ She tried to kick him, but he just held her calf, sliding his hand up and down over her smooth skin.

‘I still have to leave later.’ She said after a while, Bruce was almost falling asleep. ‘Barbara is dropping Helena in the morning.’

‘Come have lunch with me, the both of you?’

‘Okay… But I don’t think we should tell her just now.’

‘Fine.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, I’m not thirteen again, Selina. I won’t keep pushing you to call yourself my girlfriend.’

‘Oh, thank god.’

‘But you are though, my girlfriend.’

‘I swear to god I will smother you with a pillow!’

‘You get the order wrong, first you marry the rich man, then you get him killed under suspicious circumstances.’

‘I will not respond to that, because next you will be trying to push a ring as well as a more ridiculous title than girlfriend.’

‘So you will completely ignore the murder part just because you are horrified at the prospect of a proposal?’

‘There, I knew it. We just agreed about trying and you are already pushing further. Didn’t you say you were tired? Go to sleep.’

‘I’m joking, Selina.’ He playfully bit her shoulder. ‘You can be just my girlfriend.’

‘Oh, how generous of you, thank you.’

‘For now…’

‘That’s it, I’m leaving.’ She made a half-hearted attempt to get up, but his grip on her straightened and soon he was making her giggle with a mix of tickles, kisses and more little bites.

Bruce called Rachel the next day, said their project was still up, but that he wouldn’t be seeing her again.

‘You broke up with her over the phone? Jesus, you are _bad_ at this.’ But she had an gleeful expression as she ate his fancy ice-cream direct from the container. She was sitting on Alfred’s granite countertop, her legs swinging rhythmically.

‘I thought you would be happy.’

‘About you breaking up with your prissy girlfriend? Couldn’t care less.’ She said performing nonchalance.

He snorted.

‘Yeah, right.’

Bruce wiped his hands, he was making pies for Dick and Helena take to school party, Alfred had offered but these days Bruce tried to give the old man more sitting time, his knee never quite recovered. He walked towards Selina, entering the space between her legs, his warm hands grabbing her thighs and squeezing a bit.

‘I mean it.’ She said defiantly, her chin up.

‘Whatever you say, cat.’

‘Shup up, Bruce.’

He pretended he was about to kiss her just to steal her spoon and ice-cream, amused at her involuntary pout.

It had been fun doing it in secret when it was just sex, but now that they had an actual relationship it was so much better, but it was a lot harder to hide. Selina felt like she was getting a second chance to do all the silly stuff they should have done as a young couple. She would send him dirty texts and revealing photos during the day and get him distracted in the middle of important meetings. When they took the kids to breakfast every Saturday he would hold her hand under the table or play footsy. Alfred put up a huge attitude when he found out that Bruce would not be going out with Rachel anymore, but he stopped serving Bruce cold soup when one morning he found his Master and Selina cuddling while asleep. It was one of Bruce’s nights with Helena and Selina had to make a whole show of pretending she didn’t spend the night at the manor.

‘Miss Kyle, I’d rather if you used the proper door, last night was raining, you could have slipped from the banisher and broken your neck.’ Said Alfred as he boiled Chinese dumplings for dinner and tried to avoid Selina’s chopsticks as she tried to steal one of them before it was ready.

‘Awwwn, so he cares. You’re so cute.’

‘Of course I care, Miss.’

‘Yeah? So how come you set Bruce up with that woman? What was that about?’

Alfred sighed dramatically.

‘I never expected him to actually like her.’ He mumbled.

‘What?’

‘The children gave me the idea. They wanted to make Master Bruce jealous of you by paring you with someone. I told them to not meddle, gave them a long proper scold to be sure. Then, I tried to find an available young woman that was the complete opposite of you except for the looks.’

‘Oh my god…’ Selina couldn’t believe in what she was listening.

‘I thought she would bore him to tears.’

Selina fell in a fit of laughter, holding herself to Alfred’s shoulder to keep standing.

‘I always knew you were one manipulative bastard, but not in a million years I’d expect that! And that woman looks nothing like me!’

‘Petite brunette? Green eyes?’

‘She has boring straight hair.’

‘It couldn’t be too obvious.’

‘And why did you change the plan? Why give Bruce a girlfriend instead of me?’

‘Because, Miss, I live in this house, with Master Bruce. Could you imagine the angst and the drama that Master B seeing you with someone else would bring to us? I’m already dealing with him running around dressed like a bat, and Master Dick’s and Miss Helena’s shenanigans, I most certainly do not need to add some pathetic mopping.’

‘Good point.’ Said her holding a serious expression before falling into giggles again. ‘But it’s your fault, you raised a drama queen.’

‘I knew it was no healthy for a five years old enjoy The Phantom of the Opera so much. He made his father give him a mask and a cape, and he tried to react the scenes, but the poor thing can’t carry a single note.’

‘Oh god I know!’ She laughed again and then blew the dumpling she was finally able to steal. ‘The first time we had sex-‘

‘Do I want to hear this story?’ Selina snorted.

‘Such a prude. The first time we made looooove. Better?’ Alfred just gave her a glare, Selina didn’t care. ‘Well, he sang for me, it was terrible.’

‘It wasn’t that bad if it got you into bed.’

Selina gave him a look that was half shock and half respect.

‘Oh, that was one sick burn. I’m kinda impressed, but I also walked straight into it, I’m conflicted.’

‘Don’t go hurting yourself thinking so hard.’

‘You’re such a jerk.’ She shoved him lightly.

‘I heard laughter. Am I dreaming?’ Asked Bruce entering the kitchen.

‘Pff. Do you hear that, Alfred? He’s trying to be funny.’

‘We had ten years to bond, Master Bruce. There are things about me that Miss Kyle knows better than you.’

‘Ohhh, do you want water for _that_ burn, Bruce?’

‘I’d rather if you kissed it better.’ Bruce retorted with a dirty smile.

Alfred groaned.

‘Please, not in my kitchen. Shoo. I want to finish cooking in piece.’

‘I was thinking…’ Said Bruce gently running his hand over Selina scalp as she purred softly, using his body as a mattress as he lied on the couch in the study.

‘Oh no… That’s never good coming from you.’ She mocked, her hands folded under her chin as she looked at him with lazy eyes.

‘Not that I’m complaining, but it really surprised me that you didn’t get involved seriously with anyone in all these years.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘No one… I kinda… Looked it up….’

She fussed uncomfortably over him.

‘You are such a creeper, you know that?’

‘Sorry?’ He said sheepishly and not even a bit sincere.

‘Asshole.’

‘But why, though?’

Selina rolled her eyes.

‘I was raising two girls, Bruce.’

‘And?’

‘You were clearly raised rich and by men.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Let me spell for you: I don’t trust people, and I have good reasons for that. Do you ever went to a porn site or heard a fairy-tale? Stepfathers and stepmothers appear a lot in both of those.’

Bruce made a disgusted face.

‘Oh… Yikes.’

‘Yep. I don’t mean they are all bad, look at Lee and Babs, but you know? Better be safe than sorry. And your stalking is waaay wrong, I did not save myself for Jesus after you left, I just never brought anyone home.’

‘Never even thought about it?’

‘No. Not really. Relationships are a lot of work. What about you?’

‘I told you before, Selina, there was no one else.’

She snorted.

‘You are suck a lying lier who lies, oh my god.’ And moved away from him like she was leaving, Bruce held her firmer.

‘Okay, okay… There was this one woman.’

‘I knew it.’ Selina said in bitter victory.

‘We were training together. Amazing fighter. She was running away from her evil father. But it ended before it actually started, really.’

‘Oh. That was... Underwhelming.’

Bruce’s hand became still.

‘Yeah. Listen, I think there is someone coming.’

‘Geez. Nobody sleeps in this house.’ He heard her muttering while she climbed off him to hide.

‘B? Are you still up?’ Asked a very sleepy Dick, rubbing his eye.

‘Hey chum, what are you doing downstairs?’

‘I’m hungry.’

‘Dick, didn’t you have dinner?’

‘I did. But I’m still hungry… Can I have a bowl of cereal?’

Bruce sighed, getting up.

‘A small one, and it’s the oatmeal one not that sugary trash you made Alfred buy behind my back.’

The boy yawned and complied absently scratching his belly. Bruce glanced behind to look where Selina was hiding in the shadows, she had a gentle smile on her face. He signed her to meet upstairs in his room, she shook her head and mouthed that she was going home. He pouted, she playfully rolled her eyes, Bruce mouthed that he loved her and by the way she looked at him, he knew she was saying it back.

‘B? Are we out of milk?’

‘Just a second, chum.’

But when he looked back she was gone.

Catwoman’s criminal activities decreased and gothamites started reporting that they saw her doing vigilantism, especially around the East End. But she had also been seen doing what looked a lot like helping the Batman. She still did the eventual heists, but now she tried to restrict herself to jewellery and some pieces of art. Sometimes she didn’t even keep the money, donating to orphanages and organizations that helped children and animals. But she was no saint and was far from giving up the thrill of a good theft, and after all, having Batman chasing her over rooftops was half of the fun.

To be fair, they weren’t exactly trying very hard to hide their relationship. Weeks after the agreement there was no announcement to their family, but Selina was constantly at the manor, and instead of Helena begging for her to go out with her dad and Dick, her presence was expected. They walked on thin ice in so many occasions that they started to realize that everybody at least suspected that they were together, but didn’t want to rush them.

One evening when the kids set a movie night to update Bruce on Disney’s classics, Selina left the media room to help Bruce with snacks and only came back well into the second half of the movie, her hair looking properly tousled, a pink blush on her cheeks and a very guilty smile on her lipstick smeared lips. Bruce took even longer to find his way back to them and he wasn’t looking any better when he finally did. The kids couldn’t stop giggling.

When Batman appeared on Selina’s balcony again, she was waiting for him.

‘Well, well, well, Mr. Batman. I don’t think there’s any crime happening here.’

‘I received a bomb report, ma’am.’

Selina tried hard for his sake, but it was too much for her, the snort escaped through her lips before she could stop herself, and she was still having trouble stop laughing when he gave up on trying to look menacing and muffled her giggles with a kiss.

‘You are going to wake the kid up like that.’ He complained against her neck.

‘I’m sorry, you were about to say that my butt was the bomb, weren’t you?’

‘Shut up, Selina.’

‘ _Now_ I believe the whole ‘you were the only one, Selina’ bs. There was no way in hell you were getting laid with lines like that if no one knew about your bank account.’

‘Geez, thanks.’

But nothing he said to try to preserve his pride would make her stop laughing, so he decided to make her moan instead. It worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you so XDD
> 
> And yes I stole the bomb joke from B99 lmao.
> 
> I maybe or not made a lil bundle of hate possible in this universe…
> 
> And now we only have the epilogue last. This story was so fun to write, I’ll miss it so much, I’m not ready to say goodbye.
> 
> But I must, so... I see you on Sunday. Take care.


	24. Storge part VI - Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everybody for reading this story, in special my friend Lily who always supports me and who is my special angel straight from heaven.  
> Special thanks also to Itzel_Lightwood13, angela514, Burt_Macklin_FBI_49, LiaDuBlack, Hana Genji, CharlotteKat, Joanna_wch, raphy.ilusorio Catfamilyx, Pinkknight14, Hawklooser and Kalliriana (I hope I’m not forgetting anyone) for the comments, you made my quarantine a lot more enjoyable.  
> Enjoy the most soft of the endings.

‘Soooo you levelled up from the sofa to the bed.’ Said Helena after jumping in the bed with them.

Bruce grabbed the comforter pulling it to his chin, horrified. Selina remained how she was, laying on her belly, eyes closed, only her expression changed to an annoyed one.

‘Morning, princess.’

‘Geez Helena, how many times I’ve told you to knock before coming to my room?’

‘Well, if this become usual’ said the little girl sitting more comfortably at the end of the bed ‘and I hope so. I might start doing that. Barbara Lee told me horrible stories about her parents.’

‘That’s some mental image I didn’t need in my brain this early... Or ever.’ Said Selina dryly.

‘I know, right? Well, I’m hungry, which of you will make me breakfast?’

‘I’m sleeping.’ Said Selina grabbing a pillow blindly and covering her head.

‘Do you know how to do pancakes, dad?’

‘He does.’ Answered Selina, her voice muffled.

Bruce poked Selina’s bare back and she squirmed and tried to bat his hand away.

‘I might try. But they will not look anything like Alfred’s.’

‘I don’t mind!’ He gave her daughter a pointed look. His cheeks slightly red. ‘What?’

‘Princess, I need you to go first for me to get dressed.’

Helena’s eyes became huge and she turned turnip red.

‘Oh…right.’ And she left awkwardly, closing the door behind her a little too strongly.

Selina’s pillow started shaking with her giggles.

‘She didn’t plan it out very well, did she?’ He deadpanned.

‘Not the part with you naked ass I don’t think so.’

He takes her pillow and hits her with it.

‘Get up.’

‘No!’

He was about to hit her another time with the pillow when she pounced on him like a lioness taking the pillow and throwing it away. Bruce’s hand fall to her hips, he had a lopsided smile that made him look incredibly young. Selina languidly threw her arms around his neck purring softly.

He kissed her and it felt so good, her breasts pressing against him, her strong thighs around his waist, the way she purrs softy and then moan at his ministrations as the kiss travels downwards, the heat of their bodies so close and yet not enough.

‘The kid is hungry.’ He says a little out of breath.

‘When isn’t she?’ Selina answers against his skin as she busies herself by giving him a new hickey.

Bruce hisses when she runs her nail on his scalp.

‘She’s got that from you.’

She chuckles against his skin, tickling him.

‘Don’t you think I know that?’

The conversation dies and thoughts of their daughter disappears when he captures her lips again, his hands sliding upwards. He moans softly when Selina start rubbing herself against him but the louds knocks on the door make them jump apart.

‘Come on you two, you can smooch later!’ They hear Helena’s voice muffled through the door.

Bruce lets his head fall on the curve of Selina’s neck.

‘I don’t think I have been this happy before.’

She snorts.

‘You say that now. I know my kitten, she will have far more fun cock-blocking us than trying to get us together.’

Saying that, Selina pulls his head up by the roots of his hair and kisses him again, sloppy, they share a grin, then she hugs him, and leaves his lap disappearing in the bathroom.

Selina was really mad when she woke up to find pictures of her and Holly having lunch published in some frivolous tabloid the day after hers and Bruce’s relationship became public.

‘That didn’t happen when we were kids!’ She said over the phone.

‘It didn’t _because_ we were kids… I’m really sorry about it, Selina…’

‘Well, you have to do something. What if they try to follow the kids around?’

‘They won’t. They are terrified of the lawsuits, but again, that’s because they are kids. You, Holly and I are adults, legally is a complete different issue. But I’ll do all I can.’

‘Fine… I’ll scratch that woman’s eyes out with my claws if she tries to take another picture. You went out with her, didn’t you? That Vicky Vale?’

‘Uh? Hmmm.’ He cleaned his throat. ‘What time do you want to take you tomorrow night?’

‘Tomorrow? I don’t know. For what?’

‘Selina? The charity ball? Don’t tell me you forgot…’

‘Am I going to this thing?’

‘Yeah, you are, remember when we discussed it last week.’

‘Did we? I don’t remember any of this. Are you coming up with this stuff just to distract me about the whole issue with the trigger happy blondie?’

‘No, not at all,’ Said him, lying to his teeth. ‘I told you I’d introduce you as my girlfriend in that party, you agreed.’

‘I don’t remember and I don’t think I’d agree with you taking me to a party to show me off to some snobbish people.’

‘Well you did.’

‘Yeah? Prove it. What I was doing when I supposedly agreed to it?’

Bruce’s tone became dark and he stretched in his chair as he told her.

‘We were in my bathtub, covered in bubbles, you were sitting between my legs, and my hands were-‘

‘Oh…’ She interrupted him, her voice hoarse. ‘I remember now.’ He could listen to the smile through her voice. ‘But I don’t remember hearing you talking through it.’

‘Well, that’s on you.’ He said matter-of-factly.

He heard she breath in angrily, Bruce had trouble to disguise his urge to laugh.

‘You manipulative jerk!’

‘Eight o’clock, then?’

‘You are paying for the dress.’

‘Can I pick it?’ He tried.

‘No. You are a horny bastard with a terrible fashion sense, I’d be looking like a cheap whore wearing a dress wroth of a small country’s GDP. I’ll send you the bill.’

And she hung up.

Selina slides her hand into Bruce’s, she is listening to something Dick is telling her. He and Helena are helping them with the groceries, or that is what they are telling themselves.

Bruce notices how attentive she is to what he is saying as he does his best to explain why they have to bring home the sugary monster cereal he wants, he is trying this on Selina because he knows he will get a straight no from Bruce. Helena is sitting on the shopping cart that she managed somehow to still fit, and is enjoying very much being pushed like a baby. Bruce lets the normalcy of the situation sets in. He is in a grocery shop with his family. His family. He never thought he would have another. 

‘What is it?’ Asks Selina with that expression she does when she thinks he’s being weird.

‘Nothing, just thinking how lucky I am.’

She gives him her best smitten kitten look and he feels his insides turn into warm goo.

‘You are a nerd and a sap.’

He grins at her and let go of her hand to circle her hips with his arm, holding her closer and kissing her cheek.

‘What do you think? Should we have another?’ He says against her ear.

‘Another what? What are you talking about?’

‘Helena already had Holly, and then got another older sibling when I took Dick in, that’s not right, she should get a younger sibling not the other way around.’

She jumped shocked, he had to hold her firmer to keep her attached to him.

‘What?’

‘You don’t want another kid?’ He asked coyly.

Incredulity washed over Selina’s face.

‘Bruce we aren’t even married.’ Selina said very slowly.

‘Didn’t stop us before.’ He gave her a naughty smile.

Selina snorted.

‘You’re crazy.’

‘Well, if marriage is the issue we can arrange it too, I wanted to since I was thirteen or so, but I was afraid you would say no.’

‘But to a baby I’d say yes?’

‘You have always liked children.’

She made a face in between laughter and painful second-hand embarrassment, or first-hand, she was dating him after all.

‘You are really nuts, you know that?’

‘That’s not a no.’ He sing-sang.

‘Shut up.’

‘Helena, Dick, do you think we should give you a new s-‘

Horrified, Selina rushed to cover his mouth with her hands.

‘Shut up, Bruce, shut up!’

‘A new what?’

‘Yeah, what, mommy?’

‘Nothing!’ Selina grabbed Bruce by the turtleneck and whispered on his ear. ‘And if you don’t shut up, I swear to god, that thing you wanted? Not happening.’

Granted, three years after Bruce woke up from his afternoon nap to find his wife asleep beside him, one hand over her swollen belly, engagement and wedding rings sparkling even under the penumbra of their shared room. It’s closer to patrol time, and Robin will be asking for him soon, it will be only the two of them, Catgirl would not be coming along to roam through Gotham’s streets that night, she has an History exam next day. Helena waged a long nasty fight with her mother to take the Catgirl mantle, and even a longer one with Alfred. He refused to talk to her for a whole week when she tricked him into letting her patrol the first time, and being the youngest, she was still sheltered a lot, especially by Dick, but she was proving herself worthy at each battle. But if you asked her, she would say that she can’t wait for not being the baby anymore.

Bruce wanted to kiss Selina and their unborn child goodbye, but he also didn’t want to wake her. She looked so peaceful, her hair was short again and darker, fanning around her head like a halo, her lips slightly parted, inviting. She looked how heaven must feel like. But outside the walls of his home there was still so much danger and misery, he had a duty.

As stealthily as he moved, she still stirred awake, sighing, her eyes still heavy, she was having trouble sleeping at night alone, he felt a pang of guilt.

‘It’s already time?’ Her sleepy raspy voice asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Hmmm. Come gimme a kiss before you go.’ She blindly reached her arms to him, Bruce grinned taking her hand and kissing it.

‘And taste your awful catnap breath?’

‘Shup up, you’ve put your mouth in worse places.’

‘Classy.’

But he did kiss her, and what was intended to be a quick peck, turned into a long meticulous snog.

He finished by letting his forehead rest against hers for a while, one hand supporting his weight, another absently rubbing her belly.

‘Promise you will come back to me in one piece.’

‘I’ll always come back to you, Selina.’

‘Good. Now scram, I want to go back to sleep, I was having this very nice dream.’

‘Yeah? Was I in it.’

‘No.’

He chuckled and gave her a last kiss on the forehead, when he was about to exit the room Selina called him, she wasn’t as sleepy, and had a gentle smile on her face.

‘I love you.’ She said, not a note of her usual cynicism. As she said every day as he left, even when they were fighting. She said once that she was aware that they lead a dangerous life, and in a crazy city like Gotham you should always count your blessings and never take anything for granted, so, every time she sent him off, she wanted him to know that he was loved.

‘I love you more.’

She sighed content, her lids getting heavy again.

‘Good.’

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fanart was the surprise I told you about. It was a lot of work and I already hate it, but I did it so you have to look at it XDD
> 
> Helena is Catgirl because I think Huntress would be born later, like Nightwing eventually would, maybe one day I’ll write that story, but no promises.
> 
> I’m really sad see this story end. I had so much fun writing it. The Gotham version of Selina and Bruce are in my opinion their best incarnation when it comes to romance. I’m such a sucker for friends to lovers. And we have a softer and more human Bruce and a Selina that is free from being such an oversexualized character, giving her a lot of free room to grow. I love them so much.
> 
> And about that sequel… We’ll see.
> 
> Than you again, everyone who made into the end. Take care of yourselves and loved ones. Bye.


End file.
